Flashback
by KitsunesMask
Summary: I imagined the sun on my face. The smells of the village in the air. The feel of her hair. The look in her eyes. The world disappeared. The cold prison in which I returned, shot down my hopes of being dead. NaruIno
1. Loss of Hope

**I do not own Naruto in anyway. **

Chapter 1: Loss of hope

I imagined the sun on my face. The smells of the village in the air. The feel of her hair. The look in her eyes. I imagined the sounds of the streets as I walked. Laughter. Joy. Peace. Everything was perfect. Until I opened my eyes. How I wished that feeling would last. It warmed me. Filled me with hope. My new surroundings. Cold. Damp. Depressing.

I closed my eyes again. That world, my safe haven from this hell, returned. I sighed with relief. She looked up at me and smiled. One smile, filled me to the brim with... with... It was too hard to explain. A breeze tousled her hair, and her scent filled my nose. Warming me.

"Open your eyes."

The world disappeared. The cold prison, in which I returned, shot down my hopes of being dead.

"Good day Saskue-chan." I said. My own voice startled me. Rough. Empty.

The raven-haired man glared daggers at me, but I felt nothing. Numb and empty. No longer what I use to be. I think that's because I wanted to be dead and I had given up.

I had pissed him off. _'Good.'_ I thought my thoughts were interrupted by a slap. I turned my head to look at him. _'Bastard.'_

His cold eyes and sneer. I wish I had enough strength to wipe it from his face.

"Why don't you just kill me?" I asked. "Just get it over with. It's getting boring."

"While it may be 'boring' to you, it brings me joy. Plus I love listening to you scream." The Uchiha said.

"Aw. Now I feel loved." I said.

He was then in my face.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" he asked pulling out a kunai. "Every time I come, you know what's coming. Yet. You. Egg. Me. On." Saskue hissed.

I felt the cold metal touch my skin while he talked. He pushed it down sharply in my forearm and ripped the skin off. I bit my tongue trying to hold in the scream that threatened to erupt.

((Flashback))

_He pulled at his collar nervously as he knocked at the door. It opened and he thought he could die on the spot. In front of him must have been an angel._

_The young woman in front of him smiled then giggled. Her father came into view._

"_Pick your jaw up off the floor boy." he said._

"_Daddy." the girl started._

"_B-But your my little princess Ino."_

"_Daddy I can still be your little princess," Ino said. "But you have to let me go sometime."_

_Inoichi grumbled and walked back into the house._

"_You look beautiful."_

_She smiled brightly. "Thank you Naruto-kun."_

_The blond man smiled._

"_So," Ino started. "What have you planned?"_

_Naruto chuckled and then gave her a grin. "It's a surprise." he said leading her down the streets._

"_Naruto..." Ino grumbled. "Are we almost there. I would like to open my eyes."_

_Naruto laughed. Before answering yes._

"_Okay Ino."_

_He pulled his hands back and she opened her eyes slowly. He heard her gasp and smirked. They were in his spot. A small clearing in the forest. There were wild flowers growing everywhere. It was very romantic. Ino smiled and sighed. She turned to Naruto smiling, and hugged him._

"_Naruto... this is... Beautiful!" she said._

_That night, Naruto felt as if he were in heaven._

((End Flashback))

_'Ino...' _I thought sadly. _'I miss you'_

A tear slid down my face and I hissed when Sasuke squeezed the wound on my arm. He poked it continuously until he got bored. He took the kunai and started making other 'smaller' cuts. He stuck with the smaller cut. When he was satisfied with how many there were he started to pull back the skin. I twitched every time.

((Flashback))

_Ino smiled reassuringly at him. "It's okay." she said. "They will love you just like I do."_

_That hadn't calmed his nerves much. What if they wouldn't let Ino see or talk to him anymore because of what he was? What if... What if...Anxiety and his nerves were getting to him. Inoichi and his wife_

_Inzumi sat down at the dinner table. Inzumi smiled brightly at him._

"_Naruto..." Inoichi said making the blond jump a bit. "Come with me. We need to talk."_

_Naruto got up. He hoped they didn't see him shaking. He followed Inoichi into another room. Naruto sat on the couch across from the older man._

"_Yes sir?" he asked._

"_Naruto... Don't hurt Ino." Inoichi said stunning Naruto. "She needs someone like you in her life. Protect her, and make her happy."_

"_Y-Yes sir." Naruto said._

_Inoichi smiled. They both stood and Inoich clapped him on the back. "Come on. Inzumi is a good cook, and she made pot roast tonight."_

_Naruto walked back in the room, his nerves calm, as he smiled at her._

"_Do I hear bells in the future... and baby cries?" Ino's mother asked waiting for the others to have something in their mouths. Inoichi spit his drink out and fell from his chair. Naruto inhaled his food and was comically hitting his chest and coughing to get it to go down the right way._

"_Damn I think I saw Shinigami." Ino heard Naruto mumble._

_He too fell out of his chair._

"_Mom!" Ino said. She looked over at her father and boyfriend. "Great. Now they're unconscious." Ino whined._

((end flashback))

Naruto felt his throat close. _'Kill me.'_ he thought. _'Kill me now.'_

"You're not fun anymore Naruto." Sasuke said. "You look so cold." he finished in mock concern. "Let me warm you up."

_'Great.'_ I thought as he went threw the seals. A small flame sparked to life in his hand. He held it to my pant leg. I smelt smoke. Then warmth.

((flashback))

_Ino had her hands wrapped around Naruto's waist. It was the anniversary of their first date. Four years._

"_So where are we going? Ino asked._

_Naruto looked down at her and grinned. "It's a surprise." he said. He was going to take her back to where they had their first date. He twisted a box in his pocket absentmindedly._

"_Can I open my eyes yet?" Ino whined. Naruto laughed._

"_In a second hime." came Naruto's answer. Ino huffed and crossed her arms._

"_Alright Ino." Naruto said. Ino opened her eyes._

"_Ino..." Naruto started. "I think I fell in love."_

_He looked down at her and was shocked. She was glaring up at him. "Oh I see then." she said. "Well I'll leave then so you can spend the day with her."_

"_Ino." Naruto said. "I am with her."_

"_Oh..." Ino said blushing._

_He chuckled. "Your such a spazz Ino." he said playfully and she swatted at him smiling._

_Naruto took her hands and got down on one knee. He pulled the box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was a simple diamond ring. Simple but beautiful. Ino's blush deepened. "Ino.." he began. "I love you. Other words cannot describe how I feel about you. You are so many things and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Ino will you marry me?"_

_Tears pooled in Ino's eyes._

"_Of course."_

_Naruto stood and put the ring on her finger. She jumped into his arms and kissed him._

((end flashback))

I felt the fire crawl up my leg. Sasuke soon bored again, put it out.

"What's wrong with you Naruto?" Sasuke questioned. "You've never been this quiet before."

"Your attacks bore me." I answered.

"My attacks bore you!" he hissed.

He zoomed threw hand seals. "Lightning Strike!" he called out. It was like sitting in an electric chair.

((Flashback))

"_Naruto. You ready?" Shikamaru, Naruto's best man asked._

"_Yeah just about." Naruto answered as he pulled on his tuxedo jacket. He scribbled something in a leather bound book and shoved it in his pocket. In the bathroom mirror he checked to make sure he looked okay. Shikamaru had yelled that he was going to talk to Temari before the ceremony stated. When he heard the door shut, Naruto started to pace. A nervous habit he had developed. He got himself under control and walked over to the door. His hand stopped on the handle as he said a few words to his mother and father. Someones fist connected with the side of his head leaving him disoriented. Naruto's vision swirled. His attacker didn't show himself, didn't take anything, and didn't show mercy. When an evil chuckle was heard, Naruto pulled out the leather book and scribbled something at the bottom of the page. The book was slapped from his hands._

"_Dobe."_

_It was the last word Naruto heard before he blacked out._

((End flashback))

Sasuke ended his jutsu.

"What is wrong!" he roared.

"You lost your virginity to a man." I huffed and looked down.

"Look at me." he said.

I didn't budge. I knew what was coming. It's not that I was scared, but oh I dreaded it. How I hated that world. His sick twisted little world.

"Look at me!" Sasuke demanded.

I pulled my head up, and stared into his eyes. The Mangekyou Sharingan

I was still chained to a wall. I looked for Sasuke. He appeared in front of me with Ino next to him. He was holding her roughly by the hair. Sasuke threw her to the ground.

"Naruto help me!" she screamed.

I struggled against the chains. It was no use. Sasuke got on top of her and sneered as he pulled out a kunai.

"I think I'll have a little fun first. What do you think Naruto?" he asked in an insane tone of voice.

His hands reached under her shirt. He grabbed her breasts and she struggled to get away from him. He laughed maniacally as she screamed. He started to pull off her skirt. When he was successful and her skirt was around her ankles, he used the kunai to cut away the bandages she used to wrap herself with. She was crying, calling out for me to help but as much as I pulled against the chains I didn't budge. He pulled down his own pants and started to tease her more, until he thrust himself into her.

"Naruto! Naruto!" her screams rang in my ears.

She screamed and pounded on his chest, but that only made him go faster and harder. He stopped and sneered; He grabbed her face and turned it forcefully to look at Naruto.

"Why won't you help me?" Ino questioned. "You...You... Monster!" she screamed.

I froze. I looked up at her. Her face tear stained and red from crying. Her eyes red and puffy, had tears in them as she glared at me. Sauske Lifted the kunai again. He slit her throat. The blood poured from the open wound. I couldn't pull my eyes away from her. Then the prison was back I slumped still staring in front of me. Sasuke smirked and walked out. Finally he had gotten some fun out of the blond.

"**Kit... Kit! Wake up!"**

"What do you want? Can I not even have some peace in my own mind?" The blond man asked irritably.

"**Don't be a little bitch kit. You can't lose hope. That will give him what he wants. I thought me and you... would go out with more of a bang."**

Naruto snorted. "Well right now, I would prefer going in my sleep."

"**That's a pussy's way to go."** The fox said roughly.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Well call me a pussy."

"**Kit what is wrong with you? I have never seen you this way. Don't let that fucking bastard get to you. You are not weak..Kit! Listen to me, for once, KILL THE BROODING BASTARD AND LEAVE THIS PLACE! Let's go back to Blondie."**

"How long have we been here fox?" Naruto asked.

"**To long. Six years I believe... Why?"** Kyubbi asked glancing down at his jailor.

Naruto looked down and chuckled. "Don't you think by now, Konoha would have called it quits on me? Ino was probably moved on. There isn't much left for me anymore."

"**I give up kit. The bastard has gotten to you somehow. I believe one bowl cut ninja would have put it as 'Your flames of youth have died.'"** Kyubbi said and shuttered.. **"Man that boy scares me."**

Naruto smiled fondly at the mention of his forest green clad friend. His thoughts wondered to all of his friends. He looked back up at the Kyubbi.

"Okay. I may be stronger then the shitstain, but I can't use chakra, I am currently bound and hanging on a wall pathetic as hell and have zero energy...What the hell do you expect me to do?" Naruto asked.

"**Ride it out kit. Don't be hopeless. They will grow bored of you then leave you here for someone to clean up. Who might that be?"**

"You put it in such nice terms too." Naruto said.

"**Sleep kit. We might have a while left, and when the bastard comes back, it's off to hell again."**

**Kitsune: Warning!: Lots of Flashbacks up until... well until I saw so. And sorry at my very sad attempt at a rape scene. G over and curls into a ball.**

**Kyubbi: Uh… Kitsune-dono….. don't you think, you should maybe go work on the next chapter instead of sulking?**

**Kitsune: Right you are Kyubbi-kun. I'm off!**

**Kyubbi: Can you make me kill him?**

**Kitsune: Sweat drop**


	2. October 10th

The sound of glasses hitting the counter echoing threw the village of Konoha, on October 10th wouldn't surprise anyone. The birthday of their hero in the past had been celebrated by chasing him down and beating him. Now it was spent drinking. Ninja and civilian alike. Drinking themselves stupid. The village otherwise was rather quiet, other then the occasional fight and the festival. Not that many felt the need to go to the festival that was being held. A blond haired woman sat at the bar. She raised the glass to her lips and tipped. Nothing came. She pulled the glass away.

"Damn it." she muttered.

She looked up. No one was up at the karaoke stage. She hadn't expected anyone to be. She looked over. Her friends were in the same mood she was in. Tsunade sat at a booth with Jiraiya and Shizune drinking as much as she could, for once joined by the other two. Ino sighed. Behind her someone fell out of their chair. Drunk off his ass, the man stumbled out of the bar.

_'Six years.'_ she thought.

Naruto had been gone for six years, dead for three. Yes, on the third year after another failed mission, Naruto Uzumaki, had been pronounced dead on October 10th. Ino found herself humming. It was the alcohol, as it started to affect her. She stood from her stool and walked over to the stage. The people in the bar turned their attention to her. The music started and she watched as the words scrolled onto the small screen.

"It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen,

all dressed in white going to the church that night

She had his box of letters in the passenger seat,

six pence in her shoe,

something borrowed,

something blue,

and when the church doors opened up wide

she put her veil down trying to hide the tears

Oh she just couldn't believe it

she heard the trumpets from the military band

and the flowers fell out of her hands

Baby why'd you leave me why'd you have to go

I was counting on forever now I'll never know

I can't even breathe

It's like I'm looking from a distance, standing in the background

Everybody's saying he's not coming home now

This can't be happening to me

This is just a dream."

Ino's throat was closing. Naruto told her he would always be there. That they would be together forever and always. He lied. But he was out there still. She just knew it. But she had her doubts. Words were coming again.

"The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray

lord please lift his soul and heal this hurt

then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song

that she ever heard

Then they handed her a folded up flag

and she held on to all she had left of him

oh and what could have been

then the guns rang one last shot and it felt like a bullet in her heart

Baby why'd you leave me why'd you have to go,

I was counting on forever, now I'll never know

I can't even breathe

It's like I'm looking from a distance standing in the background

Everybody's saying he's not coming home now

This can't be happening to me

this is just a dream."

Tears flowed freely down her face as she sang.

"Oh, Oh Baby why'd you leave me why'd you have to go

I was counting on forever now I'll never know

Oh I'll never know

It's like I'm looking from a distance standing in the background

Everybody's saying he's not coming home now

This can't be happening to me

This is just a dream

Oh this is just a dream

just a dream ohh."

Ino sobbed. She looked up at the crowd noticing that most were teary-eyed as well. She got off the stage and quickly exited the bar. She sat on the curb a few blocks away.

"Oh Naruto. I-I wish you were here." she chocked.

((flashback))

_Ino hummed happily. She couldn't stop smiling. She had just finished her hair and make-up. Now all she had to do was wait until everything else was ready. There was a knock at her door. She was almost there when Shikamaru burst in._

"_He's been taken!" he shouted frantically._

"_What?" Ino asked her usually lazy friend._

"_I left for like a minute to talk to Temari. When I got back he was gone. He was taken!" He went on._

_It finally sunk in. Naruto had been attacked when he wasn't expecting it. She fainted._

((end flashback))

Sobs wracked her body.

((Flashback))

"_The mission.. was a failure. There was no trace of him."_

_Tsunade lowered her head. Ino looked up._

"_He's got to be out there." she said desperately._

"_I'm sorry Ino. He's been gone for three years. He's gone."_

_Tsunade sighed, "I Tsunade, Hokage of Konoha, hereby pronounce Naruto Uzumaki, dead."_

_His name was taken off of the MIA list... and placed on the KIA. Even though he was killed on his wedding night and not on a mission._

((End Flashback))

"Naruto. Naruto. Naurto." Ino chocked in between sobs.

"Naruto!" she cried out. "Where are you love?"

((Flashback))

"_We are all here today the celebrate the life of a friend, a loved one, a hero." Tsunade said. "But lets be honest. Naruto has pissed us all of at least once in his life, but he made up for it."_

_There were mumbled of agreement._

"_Naruto never like funerals. He always thought they were to depressing." she pulled out a small leather bound book. "Naruto happened to keep a journal. Some, well most of this yes is slightly depressing, but I felt it is important to read. It shows us what the blond trouble maker was really thinking at times." she said as she flipped threw the pages._

"_October 10__th__," she read the date. "It's my birthday again. Worst day of the year. I'm not going to leave. The villagers and ninja scare the shit out of me today. I'm jumpy. Flinching at everything. A normal 13__th__ birthday would be amazing. I'll celebrate with a bowl of instant ramen. It's going to be a long day."_

_There was silence as Tsunade finished reading._

"_I found out what he spent his day doing. Naruto grew restless." she chuckled. "He's not one to just sit around. Naruto went out to train and was later surprised by his friends who all helped plan a sort of party for him. And I have a clip here.." she trailed off. She held up a thumbs up and on the screen behind her, the video clip they shot that day started to play._

_Naruto was training his ass off as usual. There were giggles and leaved rustled._

"_What do you think he'll do?" thirteen year old Kida asked._

"_Shit himself" Neji said._

"_Alright on three... One...Two...Three"_

_Everybody jumped out of the bushed and yelled surprise, successfully scaring the poor blond boy making him pass out._

_The clip cut off leaving a laughing crowd. Tsunade flipped the pages again and everyone was silent once more._

"_I have failed." she read. "And in the process of my failure, I let him come close to killing me. He could aim to kill me that easily, but I was a coward. I was weak. I couldn't kill a friend. Sure he might be psycho and hell bent on revenge, but... okay yeah even I don't know why he is a friend. Everyone is out of the hospital now. I am still stuck here, but if I leave baa-chan would beat me into the next century. Something about having a hole blown threw your chest makes you need to stay a super long time. God I hate hospitals."_

_The crowd erupted in laughter._

"_Ino came to visit me. She stayed for a while, and comes almost everyday, which is strange because we never really talked a whole lot. It's nice though. Sakura visited one time to make sure Sasuke wasn't under a jutzu or anything. Other then that, Shikamaru. Lee, Ino, Neji, Choji, and Kiba are the ones that come the most. Thank god because I'm going to go insane in here."_

_There was a murmur in the crowd. They quieted however when Tsunade started reading again_

"_I walk threw the gates. At first no one seemed to notice. Then I get tackled from behind. Ino freakin attacked me! After that it was just like dog pile on Naruto. When they all got up and said hey they left except for her. We had become close friends, all the times she came to visit, and we had been writing. I was trying to build up confidence. When we walked it just... came out. I asked her if she would go out with me. Embarrassed, I figured she would laugh at the thought but she surprised me by hugging me and saying yes."_

_Someone thought it would be funny to do a cat call. Ino blushed as people chuckled._

"_He, Pein is gone. But I know this is far from over. With the Akatski gone. I know things are going to be a lot better now. The only thing left is the snake and his bitch. The Akatski member with the swirl, orange mask, something was off about him. Tobi was his name and he is gone too. I killed him in my rage. When I went back to his body, I knew his face. I had seen it before. Turns out Tobi was Mandra Uchiha. Kohan, one of the akatski that seemed good, came and burned his body, telling me that he was the true mastermind. I get back to the village and found the entire village waiting for me. I had finally been acknowledged. The thing that I wanted since I was little."_

_Tsunade flipped the pages._

"_Last entry." she mumbled. "This is that last entry Naruto wrote." she said. A silence fell over the crowd._

"_I can't help myself. I keep pacing. People laugh and clap me on the back. Wedding day. Today the girl I love will become my wife. This will no doubt be the best day of my life."_

_There were aws from the crowd. Everyone knew Naruto worshiped the ground Ino walked on. He loved her so much and would do anything for her. Ino chocked back a sob as she smiled._

"_But I have a sinking feeling. A feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have a feeling something is going to go wrong. Shikamaru, who just left to talk to Temari doesn't seem to notice. I don't think anyone else does. I'm going to take a deep breath, go get married, and hope this feeling goes away."_

_Tsunade looked up. Ino sobbed into her hands. The older blond looked back down at the journal. The hastily written words at the bottom. The small drop of blood._

"_We can only guess he was attacked as he finished writing this. At the bottom of the page, Naruto left one last note that I would like to share."_

_Tsunade's throat was closing. She cleared it willing it not to break while she said her 'sons' last words._

"_I do."_

((End Flashback))

Ino's dam burst as the tears started to flow freely.

"I do." she managed to get out. "I do."

She stood, and wobbled for a moment. She couldn't get herself to move. Fireworks were going off in the background, taunting her. She slowly made her legs move to take her home. Her legs must have refused her mind because when she awoke from her depressed stupor, she found herself not outside her now lonely apartment, but in the middle of a meadow, with fireflies that seemed to dance in the air. It was their meadow. It was all she had left of him besides boxes in an empty room. Her fingers brushed against the bark of one of the outlining trees and when she felt deep cuts and scratches, she looked back. She brushed away some of the dirt and found initials_ N.U & I.Y. Forever and always. _She traced it with her fingertip and moved further into the clearing. There is where they had a picnic. There is where she found him when the weight of the world was crushing his shoulders. That is where he proposed. _'I will always be here Ino...'_ "That's a lie." Ino said, "You aren't here. I'm afraid Naruto. Afraid I will never see your smiling face. Hear your comforting voice. Feel your strong arms around me." Ino said hugging her sides. "You aren't really gone are you? I have held on to long to let go of you now. I... I won't... I WON'T! NARUTO UZUMAKI I KNOW YOU'RE ALIVE SO I SWEAR TO KAMI IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS BACK TO KONOHA SOON... FOXY IS GOING TO BE IN A DEEEEP LOAD OF SHIT!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She wiped her eyes.


	3. Death of Naruto Uzumaki

"My lord, Konoha has pin pointed our location." A nin said as he bowed.

"Well we have a problem on our hands now don't we?" Orochimaru hissed. "So how is it that Konoha has found my lair?"

There was a knock at the door. Orochimaru said a harsh enter and Sasuke entered the dimly lit room.

"Ah. Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru said softly." He then turned back to the nin and told him to continue.

"It was a spy Orochimaru-sama. I promise as soon as I found him... there is not enough to compare dental records to anymore."

"Good. Good." Orochimaru said. "Now then, Konoha, what exactly do they plan?"

"They plan an ambush sir. They are on their way as we speak. Tsunade has sent a large group to surprise us. No one we can't handle."

"Well let Konoha ambush an empty building." Sasuke was about to argue that those who lived in Konoha were weak but Orochimaru raised his hand and continued. "I will not put it to chance. What if your information is wrong and all of those who seek our destruction come? Yes we will let them ambush an empty building. At least almost. W e will not tell the others of our departure. If we leave and they don't know, they will continue their daily routine without suspicion. It will seem to Konoha like we are here. We'll put jutzu on the dungeons. And we will leave. It is simple. Now go get your things. Bring only your finest men. If you are not back in an hour. We will leave without you." Orochimaru said dismissively. He then turned to Sasuke and smiled. "And Sasuke," he called making the raven hair man stop and turn. "Will you put the jutzu on the dungeons. Take care of the trash and leave him. Konoha can take it out for us. He is no longer useful to us."

Sasuke bowed with a quick, 'Yes master', before turning to leave. He left the chamber and quickly made his way back to see his childhood friend.

"Sasuke-chan!" I said. "You're back. Good thing. I was starting to get... so lonely."

It had been months since Naruto and Kyubbi's little chat. And Naruto said he would make it his job to piss Sasuke off every time he came near. But now... Something seemed off. Sasuke didn't play back today. Something was wrong. Maybe good for him. Maybe bad.

'Oh Kami,' Naruto thought. 'I bet they are done with me... That means... OH KAMI HERE I COME! IT'S FINALLY OVER!"

Naruto received a mental punch to the gut from Kyubbi. He apologized and said he was just being stupid, which the fox completely agreed with.

'I don't have time for your silly games dobe!" Sasuke spat. "They found us! And they are coming." Sasuke started to ramble and turned to Naruto.

"This is all your fault!" He roared. "Konoha is coming to avenge you! They care about you but tossed me to the side."

"ARE YOU SHITTING ME!" Naruto roared back. "FOR THE LONGEST TIME KONOHA THOUGHT THE SUN SHINED OUT YOUR ASS!"

"YOU WILL REGRET THIS DAY!" Sauske yelled then sneered, then laughed maniacally. "Today Naurto Uzumaki, the golden whirlwind, will parish, in a death befitting a loser, dead last, weakling, monster,... and coward."

"COWARD! I HAVE BEEN CALLED MANY THINGS UCHIHA!" Naruto spat. "BUT COWARD WAS NEVER ONE OF THEM! HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT I AM A COWARD?"

He thrashed and pulled against the chains, lashing out at Sasuke who only stared at him.

"Only cowards hide behind words Naruto." he said. "You hide behind the hopes that I will end you. I know this to be true. Yet you go on and say the things you say. All those days when we were younger, you spent hiding behind masks! Your Down fall... It will only bring me more satisfaction in the end!"

"That makes no scene!" Naruto said quickly.

Sasuke snarled at him before growling out "It does not need to make scene to you Uzumaki! Your up hence has come! I will tell you though, you are going to die. But not physically. Your memory, your chakra, sealed away from you. You will no longer be Naruto Uzumaki. And you never will be. Oh yes the seals can be taken off but you will never be Naruto Uzumaki." He sneered seeing the blonds questioning look and continued. "I had a sealsmaster make these seals for me. One," He said going threw katas, "To keep your memory away forever. Even if the seal is taken off, they have to get you to remember. Your memory will not resurface. You will never remember" He slammed his hand onto Naruto's forehead.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - – - - - - - - – - - - - - – - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Kyubbi looked up as someones voice seemed to bounce off the walls in the room. Echoing in his ears. " You will never remember." It echoed a few times. Then Naruto appeared. He looked around confused as to what was going on. He was about to run to the cage when two chains wrapped around his ankles and started to pull him under water. It was never that deep before. What the hell was going on?

"Kyubbi!" Naruto called.

When he was shin deep in water, two more chains shot up crossing his chest, pulling him down harder.

"Kit! Fight it!" Kyubbi roared.

Naruto reached and grabbed for anything he could get his hands on. The deeper he got in the water the more he seemed to forget. He forgot what his friends looked like. He knew he had them. He knew their names, but now he couldn't place faces, He forgot his childhood, He forgot the pain, He forgot his love, and now he was losing himself. He held on with all his might to his memories, but soon found it becoming more enticing to just let go.

He was holding on for dear life to the clear glass like layer a few inches below the water. His hands would slip but he would pull against the chains and gain a few more inches.

Two more chains shot up and pulled his arms to the sides and pulled him under the water. His scream silenced by the water. There was a sound like ice forming, sealing the hole where Naruto had struggled to get out of. He was now trapped. Just under the surface of the water. The chains keeping him bound to the floor. It looked at though he was sleeping peacefully. Kyubbi looked for bubbles of air and urged Naruto to wake up. But nothing. Her roared loudly, pissed that it had come to this.

"**JUST WAIT UCHIHA! YOU LITTLE SHITSTAIN! I WILL GET YOU!"**

Naruto chocked and Sasuke slapped him quickly waking the blond up. "And the second to keep away that bloody fox." He finished the second round of katas and slammed his hand onto Naruto's Stomach.

Kyubbi Thrashed in his cage. He wanted blood. He wanted that bastard to pay. His voice echoed in the chamber again. "...Keep away that bloody fox."

The Kyubbi thrashed more. He snarled and curse as the openings in the cage door began to close. Before the door sealed Kyubbi looked down at Naruto.

"**Kit!"** He yelled desperately, but he got no response.

There was a slam as the openings shut.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - – - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - – - - - -

There was a black haired man standing in front of me. he was smiling. I didn't like that. The smile didn't match the man. He seemed wrong. But the smile turned to a sneer. His pale skin made him look ghost like in the dim light. His presence was disturbing. He just stared at me smirking. He finally looked down.

"Rest in Peace Naruto Uzumaki." he mumbled before looking back up at me.

"Dobe." He said and with that, he turned and left.

Sasuke ran threw katas.

"Lightning Locker." he mumbled and placed his hands on the large doors. An electric current left his hands and entered the door. He could see it finally settle in the handles.

He walked quickly to his bed chamber, grabbed his things and walked back to his master to find they were waiting for him.

"Have some last minute fun?" Orochimaru asked.

Sasuke nodded and Orochimaru sneered. "Alright lets go." The snake said and they all disappeared in a puff of smoke.

- - - - -(time skip: Earlier in the week: Konoha) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ino plastered a smile on her face and entered Kiyoshi's room. She didn't understand why she had agreed but a few years ago Sakura convinced her take a couple shifts at the hospital. She thought it was a one time thing but nope they kept calling her back. The kids loved her more then the other nurses. So she grudgingly agreed to keep coming. She was a fairly good medic nin.

"Good morning Kiyoshi." she said. "Time for Breakfast."

"But Ino-chan..." the little boy whined. "You and I both know that's shit in a bowl." indicating the oatmeal.

"Now Kiyoshi, If you don't eat you will never get out of here. Just think, your team is out training without you. Getting stronger. Getting better, and your in here because you won't eat." she said. "What would your sensei think?"

Kiyoshi's eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped. He grabbed the bowl of oatmeal and seemed to inhale it."Kiba-sensei would come in here and force feed me." he said while shoveling food in his mouth. "And I can't get behind. I'm going to be the best!"

_'Kiyoshi you are so much like him it's almost scary at times.'_ Ino thought. A fond smile graced her lips.

"What is it Ino-chan?" Kiyoshi asked with a full mouth.

"Oh nothing. You just remind me of someone." she said smiling.

"Who? Who?" Kyioshi asked curiously.

"Have you ever heard of the Golden Whirlwind?

"You mean _the_ Legendary Golden Whirlwind?" Kiyoshi asked wide-eyed.

"Yes him." Ino said smiling.

The boy looked rather proud of himself.

"No one has said that about me Miss Ino! Thank you!" he said grinning

Ino raised a mental eyebrow. He gets more and more like him it was ridiculous. There was a knock at the door that pulled her out of her musings. Ino walked and pulled the door open.

"Hello." a young girl said. She bowed quickly.

Ino bowed back smiling down at the girl. The girl rushed past her.

"Kiyoshi!" she said happily. "How are you doing?"

"Just fine." Kiyoshi said scratching his bandaged head.

"I'm so sorry." she said looking down at her feet.

Kiyoshi smiled. "It's okay Hakari-chan."

She watched as the girl named Hakari elbowed a boy roughly.

"Say something." she whispered forcefully.

The boy sighed. "I'm sorry to for what happened."

"I'll leave you all alone now." Ino said.

As she entered the hall and closed the door, she heard Kiyoshi talking animatedly to his teammates. He told them he was like the golden whirlwind and the three laughed and joked around.

_'One thing that makes you different Kiyoshi.'_ she thought._ 'Is that people care for you earlier then they cared for him.'_

She heard a foot taping behind her. Ino turned. Sakure stood behind her, arms crossed with a slight frown.

"You were doing it again." she mumbled

"Doing what?" Ino asked innocently. She knew Sakura hated it when Ino didn't get over his death. And even now the rosette tried to get Ino to forget and move on with life.

"Get over him Ino. He's gone and isn't coming back. This isn't healthy."

"I've tried Sakura." Ino said slowly. "I tell myself everyday that he's gone but I can't let go."

"He's been gone for _six years._" Sakura said stressing the amount of time everyone's favorite blond had been gone. "It's time to let go. Think of him now. How he must be looking down at you."

"Six hours. Six days. Six months. Six years. It all seems the same. Time can't erase everything Sakura." Ino said becoming frustrated with her friend. "These won't heal."

"You're... You're being childish." Sakura yelled. A small crowd began to form around the two wondering who would win this verbal war.

"You don't know what it's like... to sit and wait for someone you love!" Ino shouted.

"Yes. I do Ino!" Sakura yelled back.

"Let me rephrase then!" Ino growled. "You don't know what it's like waiting for someone who loves you!"

Sakura's jaw fell open and she stopped. Winner Ino. Then Tsunade made her way into the ring.

"You two! To my office now!" she said then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura looked back at Ino. Ino refused to look at her and the walk to the hokage tower was rather awkward.

They soon found themselves waiting with all of their friends.

"SIX YEARS!" Tsunade roared smashing her desk into pieces. "SIX YEAR THAT BASTARD HAS EVADED US BUT NOW..." Tsunade smirked then started to laughed hysterically. "NOW I'LL STRANGEL HIM PERSONALLY!"

Shizune frantically tried to calm the distressed blond.

"Lady Tsunade please," she coaxed. "Control you temper."

"Why the hell should I?" Tsunade snapped.

"For one I'm sure they would like to know what the hell your talking about." Shizune said pointing to the small gathering of ninja.

Tsunade sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Sorry Everyone. Just a tad upset that's all." the hokage mumbled.

"What's going on Lady Tsunade?" Shikamaru asked lazily.

"Orochimaru's lair has been found. It has been confirmed that he and Saskue Uchiha are currently there seeing as it is well hidden." she spat.

"When do we leave?" Kiba growled.

"As soon as you can." she paused. "I'm coming too. Shizune, think you can handle everything in my absence?"

"Y-Yes ma'am." Shizune said.

"Pack and meet at the gates in an hour. Kakashi, you'd best not be late."

Kakashi for once had no intention of being late. He was not going to fail his once student worthy of his time again. "Of course not Tsunade-sama." he said.

"Alright. Dismissed."

They all rushed out, none wanted to fail to follow Tsunade's orders. And no one could wait to tear Saskue Uchiha apart.


	4. Thoughts

Chapter 4: Thoughts

I'm so hungry. I'm tired to. But my arms a chained to the wall and I hung just above the floor. I want to sleep. I want that peaceful darkness to come. Where the hell was I anyway? Why was I here? I tugged against the chains. The cuffs around my wrists must have been embedded, because as soon as I pulled there was a sharp pain. I could feel something ooze down my arms. My vision was spinning. I craned my neck and got a glimpse of the wall behind me. It was crumbling. With all of the energy and strength I had, ignoring the pain, I pulled against the chains.

Agony. My arms protested their discomfort. I clenched my teeth and keep pulling. I heard rocks fall behind me. Then there was a crash and I feel to the floor in a heap. I hissed as I landed on right side. I rolled over quickly and sighed as it prickled painfully. Growing numb, I smiled and laughed hoarsely.

"Looks like the chains were the only thing keeping me up." I said to myself as the darkness of unconsciousness opened its arms and lovingly embraced me.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (Sasuke)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Konoha. Had it been that long since I had laid eyes on it? Since I had uttered its name? My childhood. My bloody childhood. I had spent so long there unloved that it all seemed to burst out of me with such violence it tore my inner self to pieces. It tore me apart. I did not forgive them. I took their sunshine away. I took their will of fire away yet they still taut me with their happy smiling faces as if they don't even notice that he is gone!

How? How can they act in such ways? It's as if they are trapped within their own little bubble. Anything that is taken out, they forget and lose their memory of it. But not I. I can never forget. I can't forget the suffering. The pain. The comfort. The healing. The happy memories! I can't escape them. Even now they flood my mind. A blond haired boy's misdeeds. His pranks and how he seemed to be the bane of everyone's existence... became loved. But they loved me for what? A name? An eye?

What made him better then me? He was a dead last. He was a monster. He can't compare to me. Yet he out ranks me in many ways. He is stronger then me. He is in ways smarter. He has love. He has friends. He has everything that I always wanted! He has peace while my mind is clouded by things to do.

I smirked. I no longer have to worry about such things. As I have rid the world of the Golden Whirlwind.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(Gaara)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Naruto.

So the leaf had found out were the snake was hiding. And they didn't tell him. Well he had to go and surprise his brothers' friends. He looked out his office window into the sunset.

He heard someone heading up to talk to him. He quickly disappeared in swirl of sand, leaving a note behind that said he would be back shortly and Temari was in charge for the time being as he had business in Konoha to take care of.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (Tsunade)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Just wait. When I get my hands on you... How should you go? Slow? Or Quick so I don't have to look at you anymore? So I don't have to hear about you? Slow and painful would be fun, or I could brag your sorry ass to Ibiki to let him and Anko have some fun. They have missed their buddy Naruto who always made sure to bring hostages back for them to have some fun with.

Orochimaru, your master, along with you Uchiha will die. I want your heads as trophies on my desk. I will do the worst things to you two oh and how I will enjoy it.

How could you be so much like him? How could you so easily betray your home and friends for such a meaningless thing like power? You should have earned it yourself with hard work like he did.

Are you happy? No one can say his name anymore. No one can mention him anymore without depression coming back to the village.

You took our light Uchiha.

Isn't it funny? You were out for revenge and look were that led you. With us looking to avenge him. Revenge has funny ways to come back and kick you. Kami is just a bitch that way isn't she?

Almost there. Almost there. I can almost hear your screams.

Gaara met up with us too. And he's not very happy.

I smiled maniacally, scaring some of the ninja around me, except the red head kazakage and a blond haired woman who only offered their own wicked smiles.

In our eyes twinkled bloodlust.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - – - - - - - - - - – - - - - - - - – (Sakura)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I looked quickly over at my best friend. Should she really be coming? She was emotionally connected to this mission. Not that we weren't but not as deeply as Ino was. I bit my lip and looked ahead. Can she handle this? The look oh her face... It tells me no. But Tsunade said she had a right to come.

_'Tsunade-sama.' I said as everyone left the room. "I don't believe Ino should come on this mission."_

"_And why is that Sakura?"_

"_Ino... she's...she's to emotionally attached... and I don't believe she is ready. She has not even accepted the fact that Naruto is dead! Going on this mission would mean she would raise her hopes to maybe finding him."_

"_And? Sakura, If you say she is unfit for THIS particular mission, then most of the people being sent are not fit."_

"_And... She will be crushed. What if we found him mangled and dead?"_

"_Then it will help her face reality. And she will have some peace of mind. She has a right to go on this mission Sakura and I know that neither I or you can stop her from going." Tsunade said dismissively._

I don't believe this mission will go well at all. We thought team seven was taboo when we were younger. With kakashi being the only survivor, now me, I think we were right.

_- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_(Ino)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He was an idiot. A joker. I remember what he did when he found the letter Sarutobi left him.

_The yelling of a certain blond haired ninja could be heard throughout Konoha. He stomped threw the streets making people dive out of the way. With a crazed look in his eye. Everyone watched as he disappeared in a puff of smoke._

_Everyone searched for the blond. But what surprised me was they didn't look in the most obvious places. Like the hokage monument._

_Naruto, still ranting, painted make up on faces of the two men. His father and the third._

_He returned to his apartment._

I laughed silently at the thought. The others around me must think I am insane.

Now I have a problem. How to kill the Uchiha? I could go in and destroy his mind. Or maybe cut him up limb by limb. Use some torture methods like rub his skin with sand paper then spread lemon juice on it. Then he could go by electric chair or something. Ibiki and Anko could help me think of more. They were more creative then me,

He'd better hope to god he can run because when I get that ass hole in my reach... he better pray Kami loves him.

Oh Naruto. I wish you could be here. I can still feel your warmth. I can still see you smile. Forever didn't seem long because your gone but I won't except that fact. I will find you. I know your still out there. We're going to find you soon honey, just hold on.

Could it have only been a minute now? An hour? A day even? But not only a minute I suppose... I think.. I'm insane? I don't remember, was I locked up like this because... because I was bad? I laid contemplating my new logic. Really... no one was there to deny it.. It must be true then.

So... what did I do? If I was insane, I must have done something to attract enough attention to myself. Chase someone down the streets raving like a madman? Try to kill myself or something insane people do. A long sigh escaped my lips.

I'm bored as hell. And boredom was driving me further into my suspected insanity. So out of my boredom, my mind began to wonder. What was it like outside these walls? Was it a good world? I don't seem to have any memories of it. Maybe it wasn't a good world. Maybe I was lucky to be in here. Were the people out there terrible? I must be worse, to be in here and all. Did they know of me? Or was I just a forgotten memory?

I sighed again. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, far far way, I heard a voice that told me I was being stupid and that I was a good person and that this situation I was in right now, was not because I was insane. But if that were true, then what was I doing in a dark damp cell, chains cutting into the skin of my wrists with a numb feeling all over my body? Why was I laying on a cold stone floor that sent dull pain threw me? But I did not deny the small voice, I just, overshadowed it with the idea I was a bad person. And until I was told otherwise I would keep that idea.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - – – - - - - - - - - – - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - – - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The large group of Konoha and Suna nin approached the almost abandon lair. Unknowing that their target had fled. But there was a consolation prize. They stopped when they saw the large guards outside the only entrance.

_'Like a snake hole.'_ Tsunade thought bitterly.

Gaara was on edge. The others around him seemed so calm. It was ridiculous. He was practically bouncing in his place. He dared Sasuke in his mind to show himself. Prepare himself to meet Shinigami. Gaara looked to his sides.

They all just sat and watched the guards! Like their eyes would kill them! Gaara growled under his breath. The only other person who seemed to be losing their cool was of course Ino and he completely understood that one but... she scared him.

Ino was standing there, a demented look in her eyes. She was practically foaming at the mouth.

Gaara mentally took a few steps back. He looked back at the guard and wondered, what was so damn interesting about them? He peeked back over to the others and grinned. It was so rare for Gaara to smile now, not that he smiled much in the first place, He usually only acted like a goof around his 'brother'.

No one noticed the red head pull off the cork to his gourd. He spread the sand so finely on the ground that no one noticed it. As it moved closer and closer to the unsuspecting, his grin became more sadistic by the second.

When the guards finally noticed something wrong, it was to late. Gaara clinched his fists at his sides smiling gleefully while watching the show.

The guard dropped their weapons. The thin layer of sand that covered them started to constrict their bodies. Then it seemed to stop. Before they could react the sand rushed into their mouths, noses, ears and even their eyes.

Gaara chuckled and quickly opened his hands.

There were to screams that echoed in there ears. They were soon silenced after the sound of tearing flesh and a small boom as the sand finally found its escape.

Ino turned to Gaara and said, "You know, I was thinking about just messing with their heads until the went crazy and killed themselves, but I liked your way better." Like she told you before, she's not creative.

"Are you two fucking insane?" Sakura hissed.

Gaara and Ino looked at each other and grinned. They turned back to her and said yep.

Gaara then huffed. "I don't care either. I blame him for what happened. We all know it's true too."

Everyone fell silent. Gaara turned to move closer to the lair and inspect his handy work, but someone grabbed his shoulder stopping him. He turned his head to see Kakashi.

"Easy now." the masked man said. "Naruto wouldn't want you to rush in without a plan and get yourself killed."

Gaara cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure you know Naruto well? He is like the king of no plan rush ins." He chuckled. "How else could he have kicked my ass?"

"Gaara, when has Naruto ever kicked _your_ ass?" Sakura asked.

"During the chunin exams, right after kickin Neji's." the red head said. "To save you remember? Because I was still crazy and shit. Any of this a ringin a bell?"

"He got a lucky hit in so what?" Neji said looking at the ground.

"Must have been on hell of a hit then. But anyway I do have a plan. Walk in find Sasuke, kill him, and anyone else who gets in my way, that way it's simple and easy to remember." Gaara said as he jumped from the trees.

"Why will he not listen to logic?" Tsunade asked.

Ino smiled. "Because he is Naruto's brother. His family."

She then jumped from the trees and landed next to Gaara and the two made their way to the entrance. Looking like to blood crazed psychos as the walked threw the remains of the two men. Everyone looked stunned as they watched the two. Never, well, for Ino anyway, had they seen her so. It was like back in the days except now, there are two Gaaras. It scared most of them.

Kiba jokingly laughed out, "Well, If we wanna help kill them, we might want to go now, or the to deranged ones will have all the fun."

The all jumped from the tree and chased after the pair. Gaara stood whistling while playing with something under his foot. Upon further inspection, it was realized to be an intact eyeball. Ino had found their packs and was going threw them.

"Nothing of interest." She mumbled.

Gaara still playing with the eye made a face at her, one that if he had eyebrows one wound be up.

"And you expected to?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Uhm. Perhaps we should go on now. I know it is impolite to stand outside doors, and some can become aggravated." Sai said.

The group laughed, leaving Sai confused. "Did I say something amusing?"

They shook their heads and turned to the door. Sakura shuttered along with some of the others when Gaara stepped down as he turned. When he lifted his foot, there was the eyes, flattened and staring up at her. Those two were really pissed. There was no option of salvaging the situation. There was no saving him now. He was to far gone and no one would want to finish Naruto's mission to bring him back. They pushed them open expecting to find nin ready to fight, but the halls seemed to be abandon. Their footsteps echoed off of the stone ceiling and walls.

"Hello?" Ino said. "Hello...Hello...Hello"

"Sasuke's a pussy"...Sasuke's a pussy...Sasuke's a pussy.

"Would you two knock it off?" Tsunade said turning to the two. "We know it echoes now."

Two grins. Two feral grins.


	5. Thoughts Part 2

((Tsunade))

As they walked threw the halls, Tsunade's mind raced. Her thoughts were jumbled. Most leading her to her son. Others leading her to her 'teammate'. Some even lead to nowhere it seemed. No one was speaking a word, so it was a good time for her to think. Think before everything got difficult.

She wanted a glass. Her train of thought led her to her son and she smiled.

Her thoughts lead her to the one time she and Naruto got totally drunk.

((Flashback))

"_Cheers." Tsunade said lifting her cup in the air._

_The blond man sitting across from her chuckled and followed._

"_What are you over there laughing about brat?"_

"_Oh nothing Baa-chan."_

_Tsunade quirked an eyebrow when the blond took a large gulp of his drink._

_After a few hours and enough alcohol to go around._

_Naruto swayed in his seat. He looked at his friend/mother who sat across from him. She had slumped in her seat. He noticed a little drool at the corner of her open mouth. He giggled. The woman's Kimono was becoming loose and revealing._

"_Tsu...Tsuna...de-baa-chan." The blond hiccupped. He leaned over the table and shook her causing the woman to stir and open her eyes._

"_Tsuna...de-baa-chan.. your Kimono is undid." Naruto pointed out._

_When Naruto woke Tsunade and she moved, her kimono had fallen. Tsunade looked down then back up at Naruto. Then realization hit. She pulled her Kimono back up and turned to Naruto who was laughing hysterically._

"_Brat!" Tsunade threw a punch at Naruto who dove out of the way._

"_Aw come on Baa-chan. It's not my fault." Naruto whined and the woman continued to through punched and kicks his way._

((End flashback))

After that, destroying a bar and running threw the village at late hours waking everyone up, Shizune had ban the two from drinking with each other. Some of the ninja complained saying watching the two tear threw the village like they had was quite amusing, but Shizune, had put her foot down. Hard.

((Flashback))

"_So Naruto, you proposed to Ino?"_

"_Yep."_

_The two remained silent, until and grin spread across the blond woman's face._

"_So... Have you two..."_

"_Huh? Wait... WHAT? Baa-chan no!" Naruto said. He tried to hide the pink blush that spread across the cheeks with a hand._

_Tsunade smirked. Messing with Naruto was so much fun._

"_I see... How was it?"_

_Naruto feel out of the chair he was leaning in._

"_Baa-chan!" he barked. "I told you have didn't! Besides Inoichi would kill me"_

"_Oh so you want to eh." Tsunade said with a smirk._

_Naruto's face looked like it could explode it was so red. Tsunade laughed hard and long at her son who was pouting on the floor._

((End Flashback))

The echoing in her ears from their walking pulled her back into reality.

"Anything?" she asked.

All answers were negative. Damn. She wanted some fun.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - ((Gaara))- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Gaara had stormed ahead of the group. He didn't care if anyone was coming. He sure as hell wasn't going to hide from them. He made as much noise as he wanted, much to someone's displeasure. His Brother's would be wife at his side. He walked with purpose. Looking back he felt stupid. The first time he met Naruto, the blond had been shouting at his brother. Gaara hadn't even taken a second look at the young fool. But later on he got his Ass handed to him by the same blond haired fool.

"_Wake the hell up!" Naruto screamed._

"_No matter what anyone says Gaara... Me and you are friends."_

Friends. A single word could change someone so much. As soon as the blond had called him a friend, Gaara felt his loneliness shatter. He smiled at the thought. Years had past since then, and it only seemed that the blond got more and more powerful, even though his rank remained Genin. It didn't seem to bother him all that much though.

_'Hey Gaara!' Naruto called running down the streets of Suna when he spotted his red headed friend._

_'N-Naruto!" Gaara exclaimed stopping in his spot to let his friend catch up._

"_Gaara it's so good to see you again."_

_When the blond caught up, he pulled Gaara into a bone-crushing hug, making him gasp for breath until he let go._

((End Flashback))

Naruto had even saved him from Death. Helping Elder Chiyo bring him back after the Akatski extracted the bijju. When Gaara woke up, he was in the hospital, with and unconscious blond friend in the bed next to his. Sakura came in and explained everything to him. Naruto must have been tired.

Gaara sighed. If Naruto saved him from not only himself but death as well, the least he could do was make his murderer suffer.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ((Sakura))- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sakura followed close behind. Her grey haired sensei at her side being closely followed by his rival Might Guy and his student Rock Lee. Sakura remembered the two at the wedding.

((Flashback))

_Sakura was the maid of honor. She stepped out to get a glass of water when she heard to cries from down the hall. She straightened her kimono and went to investigate. When she returned, she found Ino cring holding on to Shikamaru tightly. Her make-up was running down her face._

_The pinkette was known for her jump to conclusions, but now she was baffled. What did Ino have to cry about. It was then she noticed the two other figures in the room, being Might Guy and Lee. Dressed in Forest green kimonos with orange trim and sash, they stared down at the floor. Sakura inched her way over to them and whispered._

"_What happened?"_

_They two shouted so loud and in unison, that Sakura could hear the piano player slam on some keys and stopped._

"_YOUTHFUL NARUTO IS GONE!"_

_Sakura gasped not believing the two men. Naruto wouldn't up and leave Ino like this. Would he? That bastard. Jumping to conclusions._

((End Flashback))

Sakura couldn't believe her stupidity. She had blamed a dead man for something he didn't do. Ino had been sad for day, and weeks, and months. Sakura finally convinced her to take some shifts at the hospital to get things off her mind. Ino agreed and it turned out the children patients loved her, so the doctors begged her to stay.

((Flashback))

_Sakura almost never drank. It was only this day. And even then she wouldn't drink more then a glass of sake. When her cup was empty, she sat waiting for one of her friends to want to go home. She didn't like today. It was far to depressing. As soon as anyone in the bar announced they wanted to go home, Sakura would use that as her escape._

_She had never needed to stay long until the third year, when he was pronounced dead. No one wanted to go home._

((End Flashback))

Sakura looked up at her friend. She was storming threw like she was dead set on something. Her feet would have left bents if she stomped any harder. Why could Ino not let go like she could? It had taken her a few weeks to accept the facts. It was now her mission to bring back Sasuke. But now, that seems impossible. Naruto wouldn't want this. He would have forgiven Sasuke! So why now are we going to throw his work aside? It didn't matter anymore. None of them would listen. And if she explained, they would not care or accuse her of trying to protect him. So now she just walked quietly behind them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -((Ino))- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ino felt eyes on her back. She knew they were Sakura's. _'He's not dead' _She thought to herself. _'He's just... He's just.'_

((Flashback))

"_I will always love you Ino." Naruto said._

_The couple was lying on their backs peacefully watching the star when he said that. Ino turned her head to look at him. He flashed her his foxy smile._

"_Promise?" Ino asked._

"_Pinky promise." He said extending his arm over to her with his pinky out._

"_Aren't we a little old to be making pinky promises?" Ino said smiling as their pinkies curled._

_Naruto shrugged and looked back up._

((End Flashback))

That meadow held so much for Ino. It was a safe haven of hers ever since Naruto went missing. One time Naruto told her to meet him there. The idiot left her there. When she found him he burst into laughter saying he had finally pulled one on Ino since he could never do it before. He was such a jerk.

_'Funny huh? Well remember that when you sleep on the couch.'_

Ino smiled fondly making Gaara look down at her. He nodded and looked back ahead. Nothing so far, only low level ninja who were most likely searching for their missing leader. Ino grumbled. Every time they came across these nin, they would pull her out of her thoughts, which she really didn't want to do. She would yell at the telling them to buzz off or go get Sasuke, and when they refused something bad would happen to them.

Mind Shattered.

Crushed by sand.

Or Tsunade, who was slowly losing her temper.

The three scared the group. They weren't family. They didn't know Naruto on the level they did. Family protected Family. No matter what. And they failed to do that.

((Flashback))

_Ino jerked awake. She was in a small apartment. Naruto's to be exact. Naruto, even though he could move into his estate anytime he wanted to, had told Ino that all that room for only one person would be to much. Ino didn't understand his logic back then but now she did, because even now walking in his small apartment.. It seemed so big. So lonely._

_Ino pulled the covers off. Dressed in white. She still had her wedding dress on. She walked into the bathroom. She was a mess._

_Make-up smeared down her face. Hair in disarray. She pulled the veil off of her head and threw it on the floor. She walked back to the bedroom and opened the closet. Orange was not her favorite._

_She pulled of the dress and threw it in the corner. Ino pulled on one of his t-shirts and a pair of his boxers. Both were much too large for her but they would do. She looked back to the closet. She pulled out one of his jackets slipped it on. She knew his apartment very well so there was no need to look around. She didn't want to leave. So she fell back into the bed and stayed there._

((End Flashback))

"It was my wedding day..." Ino mumbled quietly.

Gaara looked down at her again.

"It was _my _day." A gleam appeared in her eyes as she looked up. A gleam Gaara did not like. He jumped away from her.

"SASUKE UCHIHA! YOU WILL WISH YOUR BROTHER HAD KILLED YOU WHEN I FIND YOU! SHOW YOURSELF! YOU RUINED MY DAY! I SWEAR KAMI HERSELF WILL SHOW NO REMORCE WHEN SHINIGAMI EATS YOU!" She screamed.

Everyone looked at Ino scared out of their wits. Except Tsunade who stepped up next to her.

"AND BRING YOUR MASTER WHEN YOU COME LITTLE BITCH! SHINIGAMI WILL EAT WELL TONIGHT!" she shouted.

The two blonds marched off with everyone else close behind. After the little blow up Ino had, the group never encountered another servant of Orochimaru's. Leaving all to their uninterrupted thoughts.

**Kitsune: Hello everyone! Thanks for reading! I'm so happy you all like it... Ino is pissed xD**

**Kyubbi: Only a little.**

**Kitsune: So what will happen next you ask? I don't know why the hell are you askin' me? Do I look like a magical genie or something?**

**Kyubbi: Kitsune-dono...**


	6. Into Hell and Back

"It seems they knew we were coming." Shino said from behind the collar of his coat.

"Appears so." Shikamaru said. "How troublesome."

"W-Well, we h-haven't checked the d-dungeons. W-We should at l-least check there for any p-people." Hinata stuttered in her shy tone. Tsunade had nodded her head and the search for the dungeons began.

Ino stopped causing everyone else to stop. It seemed like there was a hole. A black hole that went to nowhere. But, there, she could see it. A faint light shown eerily.

"Creepy staircase? I don't know about you guys, but I'm thinkin It's down there." Choji muttered.

"Most likely." Neji said. "So who wants to go first?"

"Just get your asses down there." Ino muttered.

She felt for the edge of the step and began her descend into what she believed might be a pretty close thing to hell.

Torches lined the halls and somewhere water dripped and in echoed loudly in her ears. She grabbed one of the torches and made her way down a large hallway. Rats screeched and hurried out of Ino's way. Ino stopped as she reached the door at the end. The large metal door, which handle looked like intertwined snakes that looked like they were about to strike, was the only barrier keeping out all of the horrors. Lee stepped up next to her. She couldn't get herself to reach for it. She couldn't open the door. Lee looked from her to the snakes. He grabbed the handle only to feel electricity shot threw his body. Ino pulled his arm off, ignoring the shock she received.

"Lee! Are you okay my youthful student?" Guy asked while rushing to his students' side.

"I am alright sensei, but now we have a problem." Lee answered while rubbing his head.

"And what is that Lee?" Neji questioned.

"How do we get in?"

The question stumped everyone. If only for a moment before Shikamaru spoke.

"It seems Sasuke and Orochimaru, expected someone to come and possibly search the dungeons. So he had Sasuke or another put a locker on the door expecting the people would need to touch it. They never thought of..."

"Sand." Gaara interrupted.

Gaara uncorked his gourd again and made his sand slam into the doors until they were blown off its hinges. The hallway became Narrow and long, but it had few doors. It was not very well lit, Hinata, Shino, and Kurini grabbed torches. And so the took their first steps into hell.

Upon coming to the first door, the nin weren't too hesitant. Gaara pulled open the door and Ino stuck the torch in to light the room. They saw nothing but a blood stained floor. Ino pulled out, not wanting to think about it and Gaara closed the door.

"I don't want to know what they do in there." Kakashi mumbled.

Guy nodded in agreement. The walk to the second door was over and Gaara pulled the door open. Ino peeked in and with the torch lit the shadowy room. In one of the corners Ino saw a shine. Like the shine of eyes. She extended the torch not wanting to enter. The light lit the corner and Ino about hurled on the spot. Slumped in the corner, was a rotting corpse. It wasn't the body that made her want to hurl though. It was the look on his dead face. One of pain. One of sadness. Also, there happened to be a few rats feasting on it, which didn't help at all. Ino pulled out again and Gaara shut the door.

After looking through the hall, they were relieved to find that only had one left. Slowly Gaara opened the door. Ino hesitantly Stuck the torch in and almost dropped it. There lying on the floor was a person. Tsunade pushed past her.

"Sakura come help me. Ino come over with that torch." She demanded the two.

She turned to see the man's face but in the light and how dirty it was made it impossible to make anything out.

"He's freezing." Sakura mumbled as she got down the help her master.

"We need to get him out of here." Shikamaru said from the doorway.

Kakashi stepped into the room. He pulled off his backpack and fumbled around in it until he pulled out the cloth from his tent. He spread it out the beckoned Guy over.

"Okay Guy. I need your help. Move him over to the middle of the sheet. We'll straighten him out then you carry one end, I'll carry the other."

"Right."

The two men straightened the unconscious man out then lifted him onto the makeshift stretcher. As quickly as they could, the group made their way out of the lair. Finally they were a good distance away they stopped. Kakashi and guy gently laid him down.

"I wonder how long it's been for him." Kiba said quietly.

"Probably ages." Ino said.

Tsunade walked back over to the man's side. Only in tattered black pants, you could see signs of torment. She softly patted his cheek with her hand. She saw his eyes move under the lids and urged him silently to open his eyes. His eyes began to flutter open, when he hissed in pain and shut his eyes again tightly. Shino stepped over to him. He pulled off his sunglasses and placed them on his face. The man cracked his eyes open and blinked a few times. He tried to push himself up but to no avail. He slumped back down and stared up at all the faces. So many.

"Where the hell am I?" he croaked threw cracked lips.

"We just got you away from Orochimaru." Tsunade said softly.

"Who's Orochimaru?" he asked weakly.

"He is a bad man. He locked you up and put you in a lot of pain. We are going to take you to our village. To help you heal and it can be your home if you don't have anywhere else to go." Tsunade said.

"Okay." It was a simple response but the way it was said made Tsunade smile. The man cracked a smile.

"You should really sleep." Tsunade said looking down at him. "You need your rest."

"Ok-Okay." he slurred and fell asleep again. His quiet snores made Ino raise an eyebrow. So familiar.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - (Timeskip: To Konoha Hospital)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"We need to get him cleaned up." Tsunade said.

Her mind was currently crowded with thoughts. _This man was very lucky that they found him. A little longer there and he surely would have died. He was lucky that they all sought revenge._ There was a buzz in her ear. She soon realized it was two nurses.

"Tsunade-sama." one said with a bow. "We will go get him cleaned so you and Sakura-san can heal the poor man."

"Right. Thank you very much."

The two nurses, with the help of Shikamaru, and Kiba, managed to lift the man and get him into a wheel chair without hurting him further.

_'Lucky man gets to sleep.'_ she thought. She then realized what he had to go through to earn this sleep and shuttered. "Forgive me for thinking that." she mumbled.

"Who are you talking to Haruka?" Yuka mumbled. "Don't go crazy on my okay."

"Of course not." Haruka scoffed.

"Well we're going to need some help lifting him into the tub." Yuka said.

"I think we can manage." Haruka said. "He seems light enough for us to get him in."

"If you say so." Yuka sighed.

Haruka stopped. "Well let's get to work. First let's get these... remains of what I assume to be pants off."

Yuka nodded and knelt down. Haruka pulled out a scalpel and passed it to her. Slowly she began to peel the tattered pants away. She finished cutting a piece off. "Infection is a strong possibility."

Haruka walked over to inspect what she was seeing.

"Ouch." she said.

"Ouch is right. Second degree burns running up the leg. With patches of third degree burns. Multiple lacerations. Early emaciation."

The man began to stir. His eyes began to open. After blinking a few times, his eyes shown with confusion.

"Welcome back to the world of the living!" Yuka said jokingly. "Did you enjoy your nap?"

Haruka snorted. "Save the joking for later Yuka. We have a job to do you know."

"Right. Right." she said returning to cutting of his pants. "So do you have a name?" she asked, looking back up at him.

"I suppose. I... don't remember." he mumbled.

Yuka frowned. "Shame. I'm sure that the others can help you get your memory back."

"Others?" he asked.

"Well sure." Yuka said. " There is Tsunade-sama, Sakura-san. They are two of the greatest Medic nin there are. And Ino-san. She is very skilled too. Plus she can enter your mind and fix your memories." she finished, pointing to her head.

"And don't forget. Even the others who aren't medics will still try to help. They always do. Trying to fill the void that Naruto left." Haruka said.

"Best not to mention him around Ino though." Yuka said. "She's very...touchy about him. I don't blame her."

The man sat in his chair, wondering why they were talking so much. Yuka finished getting his pants off and they rolled him into a bathroom.

"So think you can get yourself clean or shall we help?" Haruka asked.

"I think I can manage." He mumbled.

"Well. We are going to clean that leg of yours." Yuka said.

He looked up at her. She couldn't make anything out. But she thought she knew what he meant and sneered.

"Don't worry. We'll turn around when you want us too."

Haruka sighed and rolled her eyes at the two. She held out a pair of underwear to the man. When he took them she lent down and whispered, "Sorry about Yuka. She is like that to everyone." The two women helped him into the tub and turned the water on.

"This might hurt... a lot." Haruka said.

The man hissed as the two nurses started to clean his leg. They tried to clean it as gently as they could. Yuka moved away from his leg to look at his right arm.

"Haruka, think you can finish that up? There is a deep cut that needs to be cleaned." she said.

Haruka nodded. " After I'm done I'll go tell Tsunade-sama." she said.

The man hissed as the two continued to work. When Haruka left, and Yuka stepped away, pulled the curtains closed, and sat on the toilet, he started to scrub the caked dirt and blood off the rest of his body. It was refreshing to say the least. The warm water against his skin seemed amazing, like any moment he would wake up from a dream. He sighed. "Yuka-san" he started. "Do you mind giving me a towel?" he called.

As the water drained, the curtain was pulled back a little, and she reached in with a towel.

"Thank you." his voice was muffled by said towel.

He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist. The curtain was pulled back again. This time she handed him underwear and a hospital gown.

"Here." she said. "Until they heal that leg of yours, it's no pants for you mister."

He could hear the smirk on her face.

As he slipped them on, he heard Haruka return. The two women began a conversation and he stepped out of the tub and noticed there was the wheel chair waiting for him. He sighed a sat down and rolled himself out of the bathroom. Haruka was about to say something when he exited the bathroom. Her mouth fell open and Yuka turned around. She looked from the blond man to Haruka and smiled deviously.

"This." she said. "Is going to be great."

The blond man looked at her. Even more confused then earlier, he decided not to worry about it too much, because they had been good to him. He could trust them.

Yuka led them down the hall. The blond's eyelids were becoming heavy again. He didn't notice the looks he was getting. Surprise, excitement, happy, he struggled to stay awake but was soon slumped in the chair again. One had to wonder were he got his strength from. Tortured for as long, and badly as he was, most would have lost the will to live. Yet here he was alive and... almost, well.

"Poor man is right." Kiba said. "There is something about him that makes me want to stay here now. Make sure he's okay."

"I know what you mean." Lee said in a surprisingly soft voice. He then ruined it by shouting with anime tears "I HOPE HIS FLAMES OF YOUTH HAVE NOT DWINDLED BECAUSE OF THAT BASTARD! I WILL RUN 500 LAPS AROUND KONOHA IF I CAN NOT HELP HIM GET HIS FLAMES OF YOUTH TO BURN BRIGHTLY AGAIN!"

"Lee! We are in a hospital. Please act like it!" Sakura said giving him a soft bop on the head.

"B-But..."

"Calm Lee. You might scare him." she said smiling.

Everyone chuckled at Lee's downtrodden look.

One nurse came back.

"Tsunade-sama." she said. "We have a few things to tell you about his condition."

"Yes?"

"Well ma'am. After peeling off the remains of his 'pants', we found that there are second and third degree burns running up his leg. He is suffering from slight hypothermia. Dehydration and mild emaciation. His wounds were never treated properly. Or at all by that matter. There is a strong possibility of infection. Yuka-san has started the shower so it will be easier for further diagnosis."

"Thank you." she said dismissively.

The nurse bowed before leaving again.

_'Sasuke, you truly are cruel.'_ Tsunade thought.

"Lady Tsunade, are you alright? You seem to be off in you're own world." Sakura said.

Tsunade looked at her former student.

"I'm alright Sakura. Just lost in thought today. Best get ready, I fear under all of that dirt and blood, is going to be something unexpected. Hopefully I'm wrong. But in any case... we might need some help." she mumbled. "Ino. Would you mind assisting us?"

Ino looked up from her seat in the waiting room. She smiled and nodded. "Yes of course I will help."

She didn't understand why they needed her help. Sure she was skilled with healing jutsu but Tsunade and Sakura were far more skilled then her. She looked down at the tiled floor again. Naruto's image appeared. She sat stunned looking into his blue eyes. He slowly started to smile. That smiled that warmed her. He said her name but she couldn't hear it. Someone shook her she looked up quickly to see Lee.

"Ino-chan you have not said a word. Are you okay my youthful friend?"

Ino quickly looked back down. He was gone. She sighed. "I'm fine Lee." she said. "I just can't seem to stop thinking of him."

Her friends smiled sadly at her then looked away. They knew that she had secretly hopped that they would find Naruto when they went on that mission. Or at least find Sasuke. Kill the little bastard the slowest most painful way possible. They knew for a fact that she had planed to fuck his mind up so bad he would think he was a pretty fairy princess.

"Alright. Sakura, Ino, come on. Let's go to the room. Get ready for the worst." Tsunade said.

The two nodded and followed her, leaving their friends in the waiting room. They all had no intention of leaving the rest of the day.

Ino sat in the chair and Tsunade and Sakura sat on the bed waiting for the nurses to wheel in the man. The three sat in an awkward silence. None of them really noticed though seeing as they were all to lost in there own thoughts. They all jumped when the doorknob twisted and the door was pushed open. The nurse, Yuka, walked in, bowed quickly. Her eyes were shown with excitement.

"Tsunade-sama! You'll never guess..." the brown hair woman trailed off. "Haruka! Hurry up!" she called.

"I'm coming!" was the return.

"Just wait. I can't wait to see..." Yuka trailed off again. "Oh where's a camera when you need it."

Haruka appeared in the doorway. She smiled and pushed in the man in the wheel chair.

His head and shoulders were slumped, as he was still sleeping. His sun kissed blond hair stuck out in every direction. His whiskered face now free from dirt and blood. His skin seemed to have lost all color, and was scarred. His body was thin. All in all, he looked rather pitiful.

Tsunade and Sakura, looked at their friend. Ino sat still in her chair, shocked. Haruka elbowed Yuka and pointed at Ino. The two dismissed themselves snickering about the three's faces. Ino felt something hot run down her cheek. She quickly rubbed it away. The only thing comprehensible thing the two other women heard her say was his name.

"Naruto."

The three women managed to get the blond on the bed. Tsunade and Sakura worked on his burned leg, leaving Ino to the other half healed lacerations. She remained calm on the outside, but on the inside she was an emotional wreck. Her Naruto was back! She was happy that he was alive, worried because of his condition, sad he didn't remember her, angry that the Uchiha dared touch him, protective, Hopeful, Disgust, Anticipation.

Her glowing green hands trailed up his body, healing him. One cut, on his arm, hand been opened, then half healed then open again multiple times it seemed.

_'Oh baby look what he did to you..'_ she thought.

"There doesn't seem to be any signs of infection." Sakura said. "It's amazing. One surely would have thought..." she trailed off.

The rest of the time had been spent in total silence, except for the rhythmic beeping of the machines he was hooked up too, and his rather rugged breathing under the oxygen mask he was wearing.

"When will he wake up?" Ino asked as they finished.

"Sometime this afternoon maybe. He's been slipping in and out. And when he does, we need to get some food in him. Some meat on his bones." she said in an attempt at humor.

Ino sat in the chair next to his bed. The older blond smiled at her. She moved over next to her. She placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her.

"He doesn't remember us." Ino said softly not trusting her voice.

"That's right I almost forgot to look..." Tsunade said.

She moved over to the sleeping man and placed her finger on his forehead. She concentrated a small amount of chakra to the tips of her fingers and waited. Sure enough, a seal began to reveal itself to her. She was not a seal master and she had no idea what this seal was at all.

"I'm going to need a seal master here sometime." she mumbled.

She moved her hands down to his abdomen. The Kyubbi seal appeared, but following it was a chakra seal. Tsunade sighed. It was a basic seal, one she knew very well. She pulled her hands away.

"You may remove the chakra seal Ino. It's been in affect for a while it seems and think of what Naruto would do when he remembers and his chakra control is in the shitter.. More so then it already is."

Sakura offered a smiled before she left. Tsunade followed and they both went to join the others waiting in the lobby.

Ino, now alone with the one blond she had missed for six years, she smiled sadly at his broken form, laying in the white bed, in a peaceful sleep. She went threw hand seals and placed her hand on his stomach. The chakra seal broke. A small chakra blast emitted from the blond. Ino was sure everyone in Konoha felt it. Then red chakra covered him and she jumped to her feet. The chakra shot at her and then black.

The group in the lobby were talking amongst themselves when Tsunade and Sakura returned without Ino. Not long after they came, a small wave of chakra passed. It was very familiar but almost on one could put a finger as to where they had felt it before.

Shikamaru being the quick one, his mouth fell open a little. " I-Is that..."

"Oh yeah." Tsunade said grinning from ear to ear.

**Kitsune: And so another chapter comes to an end.**

**Kyubbi: Yes and you have yet to kill off the little bitch and his master.**

**Kitsune: All in due time. I have plans for them.**


	7. Explanation

Ino woke up in a sewer. She had been her once when Naruto first told her about the Kyubbi. The Kyubbi had pulled her in to see if Ino was trustworthy. When he deemed her just that he snatched the two with one of his tails and pulled them into his cage. Naruto had demanded to know what the hell it was doing. And the Kyubbi had explained that he was happy that his kit found someone. He explained that he had become rather fond of Naruto.

Ino smiled to herself when an irritated voice interrupted her thoughts.

"**Well Blondie, are you just going to stand there? Get your skinny ass in here please."**

Ino sighed. "I'm coming. I'm coming."

The tunnels seemed to twist and turn but Ino eventually came to stand in front of the Kyubbi's cage.

"Long time no see." she said.

"**Ha. Ha."** Kyuubi said not amused. **"Listen mortal.. Blondie, now is not the time to joke around."**

"Oh? And I guess there is a reason for me being in here." Ino said.

"**Look down."**

Ino did as she was told and about choked. Under the water, behind what she assumed to be glass, was Naruto. Chained to the floor, he was drowning Ino thought. She fell to her knees and pounded on the glass as hard as she could, calling his named the whole time.

"**He won't wake that way blondie."** Kyubbi said.

"Then, then how..." Ino started.

"**After you took off that chakra seal, you freed not only his chakra but me as well. Now I can assist the healing process... and you."** the fox said.

"Me?" Ino questioned.

"**Yes you. I will help you understand that memory seal."** he chuckled.** "The seal itself is rather simple to get off. In comes off like a common memory seal, but when it comes off, I'm afraid your mate still won't remember a single thing about his past. You will have a year to get his memory back. How I'm not sure. That part is up to you to discover. But I have a theory. "**

"And that would be...?" Ino asked.

"**When the kit sees or touches something, memories with resurface. I believe this is what will make him remember."**

"I see." Ino mumbled.

"**Go blondie."** Kyuubi said. **"Explain that to your leader. Kit will wake sooner now with my help."**

Ino was back in her own body again. Trembling, she stood and went to Tsunade.

He cracked his eyes open. The light still blinded him. He squinted trying to make them adjust.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty!" Yuka said smiling brightly down at him.

"Yuka-san..." he said groggily. "What the hell?"

She grinned from ear to ear but was soon rushed from the room. He turned his head and saw a woman with a long blond ponytail. She turned and sighed as she closed the door. She walked back over to his bedside and smiled brightly at him.

"Hello. Happy to see you're awake."

He turned his head again to look up at the ceiling and smiled.

"Happy to be out of where ever that was." He said.

Ino's smile disappeared.

_'Naruto I'm so sorry we didn't get you out sooner.'_ she thought.

"I kinda thought I was insane, and I was looked in there because I was bad." he mumbled.

"No! You of all people are not a bad person!" Ino said.

He looked at her shocked.

"Do... Do you... know... who I am then?" he asked quietly.

"You won't remember this, but know what I saw is true." she said.

He nodded.

"Your name is Naruto Uzumaki. You disappeared the night of your wedding. Your fiancé search and searched for you, but no one could ever find you. Finally, the village had to stop its fruitless efforts and so you were pronounced dead. She never gave up though. She knew you was alive so she never gave up hope." Ino stopped and smiled. "Her friends tried to get her to move on but she never did. She still loves you. You were this village's hero. The Golden Whirlwind. The will of fire."

"Not to mention you were a pain in my ass. Always calling me Baa-chan. Loudest ninja I think I ever meet." Tsunade said from behind Ino.

Naruto cracked a grin.

"So how long was I gone then?"

"Six years." Ino mumbled.

"Six years is a long time."

"But your back now."

"Enough of this. I want the brat healthy so we can get that seal off." Tsunade said. She had been carrying a tray. She and Ino helped Naruto into a sitting position and pulled a tabled over. "Eat." she said.

Naruto took a bite and almost chocked. "What the hell is that?" he asked.

Ino smiled. Same old Naruto. He hated hospital food, even without his memory.

"Eat! And when I come back it better be all gone got that." Tsunade said as she left the room.

Naruto stated to eat again. Grumbling about how nasty it was. Ino hated this. She hated that he didn't remember her. She wanted her Naruto back. She wanted him to pull her into a hug and tell her it would all be okay.

"I-Ino. Are you okay?" he asked with a mouthful of food.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."

- - - - - - - - - - ((Timeskip))- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Naruto lay snoring in his bed. After Tsunade had stuffed him with food and made him drink what seemed to be a gallon of water, was finally allowed to sleep. The door creaked open and Tsunade, Ino, and one of the villages few sealmasters walked in.

Takahashi Daiki was intimidated by the blond in the bed to say the least. He cleared his throat and got to work. On a pad of paper, he drew the seal. He pointed to one of the secondary markings.

"There is a sort of timer on here. A year. So... So based on the other secondary and the primary seal, you will have a year to get him to remember." He then moved his hand over to another marking. "In that year, everything that he doesn't remember will be sealed from him permanently. So he could possibly be lost forever... that is if we can't get him to remember himself."

"We'll take it off when he leaves the hospital. Time in here is time wasted. Ino I have a mission for you."

Ino looked up in question.

"You're in charge of getting his memory back. You might be the only one who can do it best."

"Yes lady Tsunade.

Tsunade smiled and dismissed Daiki. He left with a bow.

Iruka had just finished another school day. He sighed and stacked papers on his desk.

"Iruka-sensei." someone said.

"Shikamaru? What are you doing here?"

"Well, Tsunade want me to come get you. She wants you at the hospital right now. She has a surprise or something." Shikamaru said in his lazy tone trying to hide the fact he knew what it was.

"Alright I'm coming." Iruka sighed and the two walked back to the hospital.

Ino refused to leave his room. She simply would not. It was out of the question. She sat in her permanent seat next to him. Whenever he was awake the two would talk, and when he was asleep she would play with his hair or talk to him some more like he remembered.

His hair was so soft. She loved the feel of it. She ran her fingers threw it and sighed. There was a quiet knock at the door and it opened slowly. Iruka walked in quietly and gave Ino a questioning look. She shifted her eyes to the man in the bed and Iruka's followed. The man turned pale and looked like he might almost faint. He rushed over to Ino's side and began to fire off questions. Which Ino answered to the best of her ability.

Iruka pulled a chair up and the two sat in silence. Ino began to hum. Naruto's cover was beginning to fall off, so she pulled it back into place. She looked at his sleeping face. Color was returning to his face, which made her smile. She knew that things were only going to get better.

**Kitsune: a short and rather suckish chapter. Promise next chapter won't be so horrid.**

**Kyubbi: It better not be Kitsune-dono.**

**Kitsune: Curls into ball in corner. I said I was sorry T_T**


	8. Reintroduce

It had been a few weeks. Naruto was gaining his strength, and was staying awake longer. When Ino walked in today she almost had a conniption fit. Naruto was leaning against the wall for support. His head shot up when he heard the door open. He wasn't supposed to be out of bed, and if it was Tsunade he was in deep. He smiled when he saw Ino and it melted her heart.

"N-Naruto. What do you think you are doing?" she asked.

"Aw come on Ino-chan. I'm bored and I hate sitting and lying in bed. I've done that for to long. I just want to stretch my legs." he pouted.

Ino rolled her eyes at him. He cocked his head to the side when she left the room. She returned carrying some crutches.

"You're just lucky I was going to take you for a walk." she said. "Now go change."

"Yes ma'am." he said with a salute. He grabbed the pile of cloths she brought she helped him limp into the bathroom. He closed the door leaving Ino in the room.

Ino sat herself on the bed. It was still warm and she smiled fondly. The bathroom door opened and Naruto hobbled out in the hospital shirt and pants. They still hung loosely on him since he lost most of his muscle mass. He was not emaciated anymore though. Tsunade saw to that. Ino got up from her seat and helped him adjust the crutches to his size. Ino smiled up at him. She didn't remember him being so tall.

"Come on let's go." Ino said. "You know, there are a lot of people who want to meet you."

As they entered the hall, a small smile crept on his face. "It wouldn't happen to be the people that saved me would it? Because I have to thank them from saving me from.. crap what's his name again? Orochimaru?"

"Why yes. Yes they are. And a few more." Ino answered returning the smile.

"What should I do? I don't know these people.." he mumbled.

"You've already met some of them though. Iruka is there and Tsunade, Hinata, Kiba and Shikamaru. Don't worry."

Naruto grinned nervously down at her. It was something she found to be off about him. Naruto was never nervous about meeting people. But she guessed it had only been because of what happened to him. Even if he couldn't remember it, she knew he could feel it.

"Where exactly are we going?" he asked quietly.

"Well I asked Tsunade, and she said you weren't well enough to be checked out of the hospital yet, even though you are much better. So we brought some the village into the hospital waiting room for you." Ino said.

Naruto smiled. Ino looked up at him fondly. _'This could be worse.'_ she thought. _'He could be gone gone. I could never have him back... But what if he never remembers me? What if he doesn't remember what we had? Where would that leave me?'_

_'You're such a spazz Ino.'_

That's right. He called her a spazz when he accused him of loving another.

"Earth to Ino." Naruto said.

"Huh oh sorry." she said. She looked back up at him and smirked. "Just remembering."

"Oh come on Ino-chan that's not even fair!" Naruto said loudly.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I couldn't help it." she laughed out.

Ino had calmed down but her laughing fits returned when she heard him mutter something along the lines of "Sure make fun of the guy who lost his memory."

"Stop laughing! It's not funny Ino!" Naruto said.

"What's not funny?"

Two stopped. They hadn't realized they had reached the waiting room until Tsunade interrupted. The woman had her eyebrow raised and was looking at the two questioningly.

"Oh... Nothing." Ino said smiling.

Tsunade's face said, 'Yeah like I believe that bull.' But the woman turned to face Naruto.

"Naruto. Nice to see you up and about." she said.

He grinned on the outside. But let out a sigh of relief on the inside. No one told the blond hokage what he was doing earlier.

"So Naruto. I'd like to reintroduce you to some people from your past."

Naruto sweat dropped and scratched the back of his head. "Nice to.. remeet you." he said.

Tsunade rolled her eyes at her sons' shyness. She grabbed his sleeve and pulled him into the waiting room. "So you've already met Iruka, Kiba, Shikamaru, Hinata, Shizune, Ino, and myself..."

Tsunade found herself being interrupted by one bowl cut ninja.

"NARUTO! MY MOST YOUTHFUL FRIEND! I AM SO SORRY I HAVE NOT COME TO SEE YOU EARLIER!"

"Uh... It's okay.." Naruto answered not knowing what to say to the forest green clad man.

"This is Rock Lee. He calls you his rival. You two were pretty good friends." Tsunade explained.

"NOT WERE!" Lee said. "HE STILL IS MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND!"

"Lee. Volume control."

"And this is Neji. You kicked his ass in the chunin exams. You two weren't the closest of friends but after a drunk accident with Lee, you two got good laughs in and became good friends."

"I still say it was a lucky hit."

"And I keep telling you it was one hell of a shot."

"This is Gaara. The kazakage. You kicked his ass too. And you kicked some sense into him. You two saw each other as brothers."

"Yeah I was kind of crazy until I meet you." the red head said with a grin.

"What the hell are you talking about kind of crazy?" a younger man exclaimed.

"And this little brat is sort of like a brother to you too. Konohamaru."

Konohamaru smiled and held a thumbs up. "Nice to see you again bro."

"And this is Konohamaru's uncle Asuma. I don't know if you two ever talked at all but.." Tsunade shrugged her shoulders. "And of course his wife Kuranai."

"Nice to see you again Naruto."

"The larger bowl cut is Might Guy. You trained with him and Lee a lot..."

"NOT ONLY A LOT!" Guy said loudly. "NARUTO TRAINED WITH US ALMOST EVERY DAY STARTING WITH 200 LAPS AROUND THE VILLAGE! OH HE IS SUCH A YOULHFUL PERSON! WHEN WILL YOU COME TRAIN WITH US AGAIN NARUTO?"

"Uh! I'm sorry Guy but I don't think I could even do one lap around the village much less 200!" Naruto said waving his hands in front of him. Guy slumped his shoulders and Lee came to his side.

"This is most unyouthful my student" he said.

"It will be alright Guy-sensei. We can get him back up to speed."

"AND IF WE CANNOT GET HIM BACK UP TO SPEED I WILL DO 500 LAPS AROUND THE VILLAGE ON MY HANDS!" Guy said.

"GUY-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GUY-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

Naruto took a few steps away from the two as a sunset and waves formed behind them.

"Don't worry. You get use to them."

"This is Tenten. She was on the same team as Neji and Lee."

"Nice to meet you." Naruto said.

"The one in the coat and sunglasses.."

"You mean the one that saved me from going blind?"

"Yes. He's Shino. He's rather quiet, but there was a mutual respect that went on between you two."

Shino nodded his head at Naruto, who smiled in return.

"And that is Choji. You two ate together at times and were friends."

Choji waved and went back to eating his chips.

"And this... is Sakura. You two were teammates and good friends too. You chased after her in your younger days but moved on eventually."

Sakura smiled brightly at him and he returned it.

"Naruto how've you been?" a man with grey hair that defied gravity said. Naruto could tell he was smiling under his mask because of his eye. "I can't exactly ruffle you hair like I could when you were little considering you are taller then me now. Eh not by much though." he said reaching his arm up to ruffle his hair.

"This was your sensei Kakashi. He saw you as a son and was a student of your fathers."

"Nice to meet you Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said.

"And Sai isn't here. He's probably sleeping seeing as he stayed up all last night. I lent him one of my books and he's tried to understand it." Kakashi said. "The boy... hopeless."

Naruto's head was spinning with all of the new information he had gotten. How on earth was he supposed to remember all of these names and the people who they belong to? He looked to Ino. She smiled reassuringly at him and he took a deep breath. Ino was sort of a protection for him. He could look to her and find his strength. Why was that? Why did he feel she was more special than anyone else around him?

"It's nice to remeet you all. The only thing I have to worry about is sadly remembering now. If I mess up your name I'm sorry." Naruto said.

The group burst into laughter.

"It's not funny!" he said.

They all calmed down and Naruto grumbled under his breath while glaring at the people.

"Aw come on Naruto. It's funny." Kiba said smiling.

"Not to me." he muttered.

The people's expression changed from one of humor to one of worry. Had they upset their long lost friend? Ino who was most worried pulled Naruto by his sleeve into the hall again. She signaled to everyone it would only take a second. She turned to face Naruto, but she couldn't look in his eyes, she worried what she might see. Anger. Resentment maybe. She hated seeing those kinds of looks in his eyes.

"Naruto they're only poking fun. They don't mean anything. They're all crazy, but they all love you..." she stopped when she saw water fall in front of her. She looked up. His clear cerulean eyes glistened with tears.

"I want to remember... I wish I could... but every time I try to remember... anything... Nothing. There's nothing! I can't stand it. I hear from you and Iruka and... and Tsunade about things I did... but every time I try to remember those things... nothing."

Ino looked up and saw Naruto as something she almost never saw. She saw that he was Vulnerable. She quickly threw herself at him. The force knocked the two over. She hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry Naruto! I didn't mean it!" she said. She reached up and gently wiped the tears off of his cheeks. Then she realized where they were and she blushed. "S-Sorry!" she said quickly. She quickly got off of him and helped him up. When they walked back into the room everyone looked back at them with the same worried expressions. Ino cleared her throat.

"No more cracks at Naruto's memory." Ino said.

Naruto let a small smile play across his face. An apologetic one. No one in the room blamed him and they all offered him a smile in return. He didn't make much eye contact with Ino. If he did his face would start to burn and I would confuse the people he was talking to until the caught on to what he was looking at. It was Ino. Just what the hell did she do to him?

**Kitsune: Well then another one gone. My updates might get a little slower, but I will try to get at least three chapters in a week until the story comes to an end. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR READING I THOUGHT THIS STORY WAS GOING TO FAIL!**

**Kyubbi: Kitsune-dono! There is no need to yell!**

**Kitsune: Shut up! So what will happen next? By now!**

**Kyubbi: Locks in room with only computer and demands Kitsune-dono to work.**

**Kitsune: So rude.**


	9. Let the Remembering Commence

"Today's the day Naruto." Ino said happily. "Today is when you get to leave to hospital. And that means the seal is going to come off."

Ino smiled at him, and he returned it.

"Pretty excited aren't we?" Naruto said.

"Yes. Yes I am."

Naruto snorted at her, and she pouted.

"Oh come on Naruto. You can't say you're not excited." she said.

There was a knock on the door and Ino jumped up to answer it. Daiki adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. He entered the room, followed by Tsunade, and made his way over to Naruto's side.

"Just... relax Uzumaki-sama." he said. He concentrated chakra to his fingertips and placed them on his seal. He muttered a few words and watched as the seal deteriorated.

Naruto's eyes widened and he felt a tug at the back of his mind. He closed his eyes, causing the others in the room to panic.

"Why did he pass out?" Tsunade roared. "What happened?"

"I don't know Tsunade-sama! I don't know!" Daiki said quickly.

Ino smiled to herself knowing that it was Kyubbi. But she wondered why he waited this long.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - – - - - - - -

Naruto looked around at his new surroundings. A sewer? How the hell did he get into a sewer? He was just at the hospital.

"**Kit come here." **he heard the deep voice call.

Naruto hesitantly started to walk forward. When her entered a large room, with an extremely large cage, he became confuse. Images flashed in his eyes. He had been here before. It wasn't a sewer at all. It was his mind. He remembered all the conversations he had with the fox.

_'Furball.'_

_'Brat.'_

"Kyubbi?" Naruto questioned.

Two red eyes looked down at him. **"It is me kit." **the great fox said.

"What do you want exactly?"

"**Look at what you are standing on kit." **Kyubbi answered.

Naruto looked down. He saw himself, but not only that. Images flashed in his eyes again. Images of Sasuke. Images of torture. It crippled the blond man, as he had doubled over and grasped his head, wanting nothing more but to have it end. His eyes widened in fear as he had relived everything. It was over. He looked back down at himself, and wondered how he made it threw that.

"**He... You are a strong person kit." **Kyubbi said. **"Not one to give up so easily. But you had your moments. That down there is what you were. What you use to be."**

"He's the one everyone loves. Not me." the blond said.

"**That may be true, but the people love you as well, because you two are the same."**

"What did we do for this to happen?"

"**You didn't do anything kit. Sasuke Uchiha was your teammate once upon a time. You hated his guts because he got everything handed to him on a silver platter no questions asked. Sasuke Uchiha is a bastard." **the fox said.

Naruto felt that same pull. He looked up at Kyubbi. The fox shut his eyes and Naruto was pulled back into reality. His eyes shot open, and he jerked into a sitting position.

"Calm down Naruto." Tsunade said.

Once again, Images filled his eyes. Tsunade was drunk. Tsunade made a bet. Tsunade became hokage. Naruto knew a whole lot of the memories he had of the woman were missing. They didn't all come back like the ones about Sasuke.

"Baa-chan?" Naruto questioned.

Tsunade's eyes lit up. She walked over and hugged the blond man tightly.

"Baa... chan... can't... breath." Naruto said as she squeezed him.

Daiki sighed in relief and left the room. Ino then walked in and saw Naruto was awake again.

"Naruto." she said happily.

Naruto saw a meadow. Initials carved in a tree. He remembered the feel of hair. But like Tsunade, he felt as if he remembered nothing about Ino. Naruto returned with a foxy smile of his own. Ino held out a paper sack.

"Here. They are some your cloths." she said.

Naruto got out of bed and with his crutches, made it to the bathroom.

"Something is wrong." Tsunade said.

"What do you mean?"

"He is confused. Didn't you see it?" Tsunade questioned.

"Yeah I saw it."

"When he woke up I think he remembered everything that happened the last six years. Think about it. How painful it must be to remember six years of painful memories." Tsunade said then her eyes widened.

"What is it Tsunade?" Ino asked worry evident in her tone of voice.

"He will have to relive everything Ino. Everything. Think about how hard that might be."

Ino felt tears come to her eyes. "I will always be there for him. Whenever he needs me."

Ino quickly wiped her eyes when she heard the bathroom door open. She smiled. He looked like he did so many years ago. He was clad in black pants and a mesh shirt under an orange jacket with black sleeves that had pockets that looked like the ones on chunin vests.

"I remembered the, kill me orange, as you put it Ino-chan." he said grinning.

Ino smirked. "Come on lets go. You've got a lot of catching up to do. Unfortunately, if you remember you love of training you can forget it. At least until you leg is fully healed."

"But Ino-chan. It's fine now. I think it's just you and Tsunade. Are you hiding something from me?"

"W-What?" Ino said. "Why on earth would we do that?"

Naruto raised and eyebrow. Ino rolled her eyes and beckoned him to follow her, which he did. Ino lead Naruto down the halls. He seemed oblivious to the stares he was receiving. Stares of shock. Stares of disbelieving. He just followed Ino. Wherever she went. The nurse at the desk smiled and bowed as Ino signed him out of the hospital. Ino smiled and told the woman to have a good day they turned to the doors. Naruto opened the door and let Ino exit before him and he exited the hospital, the villagers on the road seemed to stop. Time seemed to stop itself. Naruto looked around at the people confused as all get out. Then there was a flash of light and they all disappeared.

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**Kitsune: So what happened to Naruto?**

**Kyubbi: The world may never know?**

**Kitsune: Silly Kyubbi. They will know next chapter. NEXT TIME: What does the marking on the seal mean? Where will Naruto go and what will Ino do? What about his friends? Find out next time. And what's with Daiki calling him sama?**


	10. Reliving a Nightmare No memory

_Naruto looked around. He was on the same road. But the was something off. He no longer had Ino by his side. The once smiling villagers, no looked at him with anger. It scared him. He looked down at himself. He was a child again! What the hell was going on? He began to walk alone down the streets. He walked quickly, hurriedly, and he had a fearful look in his eyes. The young boy received glares. People threw stuff at him. Naruto looked around. Glares. They were all directed at him. The small boy averted his gaze. Then a voice broke out._

"_Monster!" It shouted._

_A can was thrown and it hit the boy in the head. He started to run. What did he do? He ran as quickly as he could down the streets, a mob forming behind him._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -((back to reality))- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ino looked at Naruto confused. He seemed to be staring off into space. There was something is his eyes. Fear. What the hell was he seeing? The dropped his crutches. Ino was worried. Naruto turned and bolted down the street, With Ino and a number of villagers chasing after him

_Naruto looked behind him. They were still there. Behind him. He turned the corner into the alleys. They followed his every turn no matter what. Naruto turned again but stopped when he ran into a dead end._

"_MONSTER!" "DEMON!" "BASTARD!" "DEAD LAST!" "FAILURE!"_

_Naruto clenched his head and sunk to the ground with anticipation. A paniced fearful look in his eyes._

Ino became panicked. What was wrong? She wanted to catch up. Fire burned in her eyes and she picked up speed. When she caught up to him she saw him on the ground. He looked up at her and his eyes begged for something. Something that she didn't think she could give him. She looked back at the villagers and told the to stay back a second. She hesitantly walked up to him and knelt down next to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto-kun..." she said softly. "Naruto-kun, please snap out of it." She shook his gently like trying to wake a sleeping person. He blinked a few times then shook his head trying to clear the fog.

"I-Ino-chan?"

"Naruto-kun... What did you remember?"

"I... remembered the glares. The hatred that was aimed toward me." he lowered his head and peeked at the villagers. Most of the crowd looked down at their feet. Being some of the people that did that to him when he was a child. An elder woman stepped forward.

"Don't you worry about those glares now sonny." she said. "Hope you can forgive an old woman for doing that to you in the past."

Naruto glanced at the woman. He got up off the ground. He found Ino's sleeve and he pulled her past the crowd. The old woman and the crowed watched sadly at the retreating blond.

"Naruto-sama will forgive us right?" someone asked quietly.

"Of course he will!" someone else said. "Naruto-sama isn't one to hold a grudge. He is to forgiving."

Ino didn't particularly like being drug around all over creation. But it seemed the longer they walked and the more people they passed, the more Cautious, fearful, and sad looking he became. It broke Ino's heart seeing him like this. It was only when they reached a deserted part of town did he stop and calm down. Ino reached up and placed a hand on his cheek.

"What would he have done?" he asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"What would Naruto Uzumaki have done?" he clarified.

Ino looked up at him. How could something as simple as remembering break a man so strong? She thought about his question. What would Naruto have done? He would have brushed it off right. Said something about how he would gain their respect. But what if he already had their respect?

"Naruto... would have forgiven them. They all love and respect you."

"That's not really true." he mumbled.

"What?"

"They don't love _me_." he said. "They love they man under the water."

"Naruto..."

He looked down at her. His eyes seemed to say 'Don't tell me it's not true because that's Bullshit.' He knew the feelings he had had in that memory. There was no doubt that he would find it hard to trust the people. She however was going to disobey. She grabbed him by his jacket and started to shack him.

"Naruto that isn't true! There are plenty off people who love you even if you don't remember them. They would never stop loving you. They missed you for so long. You're back now. Maybe not mentally but physically you are and that is good enough for them." She had stopped shaking him as she had started sobbing and couldn't concentrate on shaking and yelling at him. "Why can't you get it threw that thick skull of yours? We missed you... I missed you... I don't think... I can take seeing you like this."

"Okay." he said quietly. She looked up at his face. He had a small smile that graced his lips. She thought it would only get better earlier. But now she thought that it might only get worse. I thought she might know what would cheer him up. She wiped her eyes then grinned up at him.

"Come on. We're going to get some ramen." she said.

Ino pulled a hesitant Naruto back into the busy streets and into the now famous ramen shop. After his believed death, many people had started to eat at Ichiraku's to honor him. Even Tazuna, Inari, and Tsunami had come.

_It was dark out and Naruto saw the light of the Ramen shop ahead. He entered then yelled._

"_Hey old man! Can I have a large bowl of miso?"_

_Naruto wondered why he said that. It was rude. A man peeked a head around the corner smiled. "Naruto my boy." he said. "Coming right up."_

Naruto stopped and walked inside instinctively walking to the seat that he felt was his. He looked around. It was much more crowded then he remembered in his memory. And bigger to. Someone dropped their chopsticks gaining Naruto's attention.

"I don't believe it..."

"Hey old man." Naruto said with a grin.

"Evil Spirit! How dare you take the form of my favorite costumer! Be gone Evil Spirit! Be gone!"

The commotion had gained everyone's attention and they stared on in fascination and shock. No one had heard a rumor about it. It was a pretty well kept secret.

"Aw come on. I'm not lying to you. I might not remember, but..."

"NOT REMEMBER?" the ramen shop owner shouted. "DO YOU NOT REMEMBER THE TASTE OF YOUR FAVORITE RAMEN? I MUST MAKE YOU SOME RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

The man rushed into the kitchen and began the cook. Naruto sweat dropped. What the hell is wrong with these people? He heard whispers and turned to see everyone looking at him. Ino had taken her seat next to him.

"Was I really that well known?" he asked.

"You are the villages hero." she replied in an as a matter of fact tone. "Of course they are going to know you."

"Here you are!" Ichraku said placing a bowl in front of Naruto. Naruto broke his chopsticks and shoveled so ramen in his mouth. Ichiraku and Everyone else looked on at him with anticipation. Naruto smiled. And everyone figured he remembered now. But they didn't know it didn't all just come back to him.

"Ino?"

"Hm?"

"Did I hate the three minutes it takes to make ramen?" he asked.

Ino smiled. "You sure did."

Kyubbi looked down at his container. Everything looked the same. Kyubbi was about to turn away but from the corner of his eye, he saw the slightest of motion. A twitch. As if he were asleep. Kyubbi Concentrated on hi.

The occasional twitch. Rusted chains.

**Kitsune: I thought that was a cute end to a relatively short chapter.**

**Kyubbi: …...**

**Kitsune: What?**

**Kyubbi: Oh nothing.**

**Kitsune: Anyway. Next Chapter will be out soon. Promise ^^ Oh and Suna no Ken... comment made my day.**


	11. Plans

"Go back Sasuke-kun. To Konoha. Then we will put our plan into action." Orochimaru said silkily.

"Are you mad?" Sasuke questioned. "After that there is no way I will be able to get into Konoha without..."

"By this time Naruto will have remembered you hopefully." Orochimaru hissed. "That seal you had made would make sure of that no? Do you not remember your friends forgiving Nature? He will convince Tsunade to forgive you. If not him it will be that pink haired girl that is so fond of you. All I need is you inside to give the signal, and we will take Konaha by force."

"... Alright."

"It will take a little planning, but Konoha will be ours."

Daiki needed sleep. He had stayed up for days. Trying to decipher the seal. He was living off coffee and soldier pills. He needed to know what it meant. Naruto was his sensei. He had learned all he knew about seals from him and he felt it was up to him. He was much younger then Naruto and had felt like a failure. He thought that was the reason Naruto had taught him. He was comparing some of the known sound memory seals to the one he had taken off of his sensei.

"Oh no..." He said.

He quickly picked up his papers not bothering to straighten them out and rushed to see Tsunade.

Why couldn't she make him remember good stuff as easily as bad? Ino looked up at said blond. He seemed happy enough which was strange seeing as he had so many bad memories compared to good. He noticed her a smiled back.

"So Ino-chan, what exactly are we doing?" he asked looking around at the not to familiar neighborhood.

Ino let a small smile etch itself on her face. That small smile quickly grew into to largest shiteatting grin, Naruto though he had ever seen. His smile turned into a nervous one and he waited her answer.

"We're going to see dear old mom and dad of course." she answered.

Naruto gulped. "D-Dad?" he asked. He had a feeling he had been scared of the man.

"Oh come on Naruto." Ino said. "Daddy loves you."

Ino grabbed his sleeve and pulled him along faster.

"Oh come on Naruto. Don't be such a baby." Ino teased even though she knew full well that he had a right to be worried. She stopped suddenly, knocking him off balance.

"What the hell Ino?" he asked.

"I... I'm sorry Naruto." she said. "I... don't know what came over me." She reached out to grab his sleeve again but before her fingers could grab the cloth, Naruto reached up and took her hand in his. He looked at in with a far off look in his eye for a moment.

"_Come on Naruto!" a voice said excitedly._

"_Hime! Calm down!"_

He smiled softly. It was the only memory so far that was just voices. It was a happy memory. Something good. Something that seemed to make all of the bad feelings he had, melt away. Ino raised an expecting eyebrow.

"It was good." The two had a routine. Now every time Naruto remembered something, No matter what he was to tell Ino. "I heard a voice. It was a woman's. She was excited and was pulling me along like you are."

Ino blushed and was about to pull her hand away but Naruto tightened his grip. "Please don't. I... I like holding your hand Ino-chan. I just wish I knew why." That made Ino blush harder and squeak out an Okay. The two walked down the street again. Ino had slowed her pace, and the two just enjoyed each other's company as they walked toward Ino's parents home.

Ino peeked her head inside the house and looked around for her parents. When she saw they weren't there she walked in and held the door open for him. He entered the house and looked around.

_A delicious dinner with the Yamanakas._

_A talk with Inoichi._

_Ino smiling at him at the doorway._

Naruto shook his head and when he looked back up Ino wasn't at his side anymore. He walked to her side again, much like a lost puppy.

"Mom? Dad?" Ino called.

"In the kitchen dear." came the reply.

Ino turned to the blond and smiled. "Stay here until I call you in. I want to surprise them."

He just nodded and watched her leave the room.

"Smells good mom." Ino said as she entered the kitchen.

"Hello princess." Inoich said from the table and behind a scroll.

"Hi daddy." Ino said. "Do you think there is enough for one more person?" she questioned.

Inzumi glanced at her daughter. Even Inoichi peeked over his scroll.

"Well I'm sure there is. What is going on honey?"

"There's someone I want you to... meet." Ino said grinning.

"Well if they are here go get the dear." Inzumi said.

Ino's grin got wider. She walked out. Inoichi rolled the scroll back up and awaited his daughter's return. There were whispers in the other room. He could make out Ino's voice. The other one, worried and anxious, was a man's voice. He smiled softly and looked down at his feet. Ino had finally moved on it seemed. His looked up when he heard the two come back. His jaw dropped.

"Mom. Dad. This is Naruto. He lost his memory." Ino said. "He's back."

Inzumi, who found it hard to hold back the tears, threw herself at Naruto the second Ino had finished, confusing the poor blond to no end.

"Um.. Its nice to meet you.."

"_It's nice to meet you Mrs. Yamanaka."_

"_Oh come now Naruto. Mom is fine."_

"Mom?" he finished unsure of himself. After he finished he noticed the woman's hug got tighter. And she balled into his jacket confusing the blond even more. Did he do something wrong? How could he make her feel better? His mind was spinning as he looked down at her. Removing her face from his jacket, she looked up at him and smiled.

"Oh Naruto!" she said happily. "It's so good to see you again. When you went missing, this family didn't seem whole anymore."

Before he could reply, her face went back into his jacket, and she cried a more and her arms wrapped around him. She then let him go and ushered him over to the table.

"Sit down young man. Tonight you're having dinner here. Just like old times." Inzumi said.

"So that bastard is only playing? What... Mind Games with him?" Tsunade roared.

"I believe so yes." Daiki said.

"Get Ino down here immediately. She needs to know." Tsunade said.

"I'm so sorry I have to leave you guys." Ino said.

"It's alright dear." Inzumi said. "Naruto please stay with us while Ino is gone. I want to catch up."

Ino looked at her mother like she was crazy. But sighed and smiled apologetically to Naruto. "Stay. I'm sure it will be more interesting here then there."

Naruto grinned and told her she'd better hurry or baa-chan wouldn't be happy. Ino smiled on the outside but on the inside she was shaken. Tsunade had gotten the message to her. It had a blood seal and everything and when she had read the contents she hurriedly left. She was a wash with consern. It seemed that's all she was ever since he come back. Maybe now she would get some answers.

"Come on Naruto." Inzumi said ushering the boy back into the house and over to the couch.

"Naruto my boy." Inoichi said, sitting across from him. "We're so glad you're back."

"_Naruto Uzumaki!" A drunk Inoichi slurred as he stumbled after the blond. "How dare you think you can do that to my princess."_

"_B-But sir!" Naruto said. "We're dating it's not like I defiled her or anything."_

Inoichi waved a hand in front of Naruto's face.

"Earth to Naruto?" Inoichi said.

Naruto shook his head and grinned.

"What is it boy?" Inoichi said.

"I was just dating her." Naruto said and the blond across from him looked shocked then chuckled. Naruto zoned out again. There were the initials again. He saw them often. Then a meadow. It was beautiful and there was a picnic set out. Naruto saw two blonds kissing. He saw himself hold Ino while they were on their backs watching the stars. Naruto felt something. It was a strange feeling. It was warm unlike the coldness he was use to when he remembered things.. It was indeed strange. He liked it. It was for Ino to. That's all he could think of now. How he wanted to be with her. He snapped out of it and noticed that Inoichi and Inzumi were looking at him with concern in his eyes. He offered a foxy smile and the two smiled back, concern gone from their features.

"You wanted to see me Lady Tsunade?" Ino asked as she entered the hokage's office.

The hokage was fuming, and Daiki was there which gave Ino a tip as to what was going on.

"What is it?"

**Kitsune: Aren't I just an Evil bitch? That is the second cliffhanger! Okay so I know these recent chapters have sucked but just wait. It's gonna get good again. I promise! If not... I will never ever ever write a fanfiction again. I'm just fuckin' with ya! Of course I will keep writing.**

**Kyubbi: Kitsune-dono. Stop babbling and get back to work.**

**Kitsune: Yes ma'am!**

**Kyubbi: . . . . .**


	12. While I'm Away

"After comparing Naruto-sama's seal to the past seals known to be used by the sound, I figured out what that last marking meant. Look at this one." he said pointing to one of the seals. "Notice how the beginning on this one is the same but everything else isn't? The person that the seal was on, went insane because he never remembered a happy thing. But after looking and what Ino has told me, Naruto-sama can remember good things. So after days and nights I finally found the solution. Uchiha made it easier for the bad memories to come up. The Naruto we know it being held somewhere in his own mind and when ever this Naruto remembers a bad memory, the Naruto in his mind, is seeing the same thing. But it gets worse. Remembering things from your past is not enough to make you go crazy so he made sure that Old Naruto saw it but it was ten times worst. He would be able to see, hear, and feel everything, but it would be ten times worse. It's all mind games. Sasuke Uchiha wants Naruto to go insane."

"What about... Happy memories?" Ino asked.

"Well I figure it would work the same but in a more positive way. But it will be difficult to make sure he only gets the happy part of it. Naruto-sama is strong. He wouldn't be driven into insanity by this would he?"

"Naruto is a strong person. But I'm not sure. This might be a battle that he can't win. And it will scar him for life." Tsunade said. "Ino I want you to try your hardest to make him remember good things. You may leave."

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When Ino returned home she noticed it was oddly quiet. Naruto was sitting on the sofa and when he heard the door open, he turned in his seat. Ino's eyes were downcast and didn't want to make eye contact with him. Naruto jumped to his feet and threw his arms around her. He spun her around making her smile again.

"Just what the hell did you remember Uzumaki?" she asked.

He grinned down at her.

_'This is strange.' _Ino thought. _'They just told me...'_ Ino cast that thought aside. "Come on Naruto." she said warmly. "It's late. Let's go home."

"Alright." was his simple reply, and after saying goodbye, the pair walked hand in hand home.

"Night Ino-chan." Naruto said from the small apartment living room.

"Oh hell no." Ino mumbled from her spot of the bed. "Naruto get your ass in here right now." she called back. There was no way she was going to spend another night alone. Every time she woke up, it would scare her, and she would run out of the room to the living room couch praying she wasn't dreaming. She snapped out of it when she felt movement next to her. She turned her head and got lost in the ocean. She smiled softly.

"That's better." she said. "Goodnight Naruto."

"Goodnight Ino." he replied with a yawn.

_Initials on a tree. A meadow. A picnic waiting to be enjoyed. Images. Smiles. Laughter. Love._

"_I will always love you Ino." a voice said._

"_Promise?" a feminine voice said._

"_Pinky Promise."_

_A nights sky. Then there was fire. Had all of that just been a dream? Naruto closed his eyes. Ino was smiling happily as they walked hand in hand down the road._

"_Ino?"_

_The village around him fell away just leaving him and the blond woman._

"_You aren't Naruto." she hissed._

Naruto's eyes opened. Ino had her arms wrapped around him. She sturred and cracked an eye open.

"Naruto?" she whispered.

"Hm?" Naruto answered quietly, letting her know he was there.

"You won't leave again will you?"

He looked into her cornflower eyes. They were tired looked and scared. He guessed that good dreams evaded her too.

"No I won't leave again."

"Promise?"

Naruto smiled. "Pinky Promise. Now get some sleep." Naruto saw the smile that found it's way to her lips. Unlike her, sleep still evaded him. He watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful. Beautiful. She moved her arm and rested it on his chest. Ino snuggled in closer making a deep red blush appear on his face. His gaze moved to her hand as something on it caught the moonlight. A diamond ring. Naruto tilted his head. He went to touch it but hesitated a moment before closing the distance.

His fingertips brushed against the beautiful ring and a flash of light blinded him.

_I rubbed my eyes and when the stars left my vision, I caught sight of a couple. Curious, I walked closer. I saw myself lead Ino into a meadow. It was the meadow. The one I had been seeing._

"_Can I open my eyes you?" I heard Ino question._

"_In a second hime." The blond girl huffed and crossed her arms making me chuckle. "Alright Ino." Naruto said pulling his hands away. "Ino." He continued. "I think I fell in love."_

"_Oh I see then." she said. "Well I'll leave then so you can spend the day with her."_

_I was confused. Why would I leave Ino? I looked at myself in question._

"_Ino. I am with her."_

_Relief flowed threw me. And I chuckled again this time at Ino's rosy blush._

"_Oh." was her answer._

"_You're such a spazz Ino." Naruto said playfully earning a playful slap from Ino._

_My mouth fell open a little when I watched Naruto get down on one knee, and pull a box out of his pocket._

"_Ino I love you. You are my everything. Other words can't describe how I feel about you. You are so many things and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. In, will you marry me?"_

_I smiled and watched Ino accept, and Naruto put the ring on her finger. She jumped into his arms and kissed him._

_Another flash. Then I saw Naruto holding Ino. "It's alright Ino it's only a mission. I'll be back sooner then you can blink." He said._

"_You'd better be mister we still have a wedding to plan." she said. Naruto smiled and rocked her back and forth._

"_Close your eyes and I'll kiss you_

_Tomorrow I'll miss you;_

_Remember I'll always be true._

_And while I'm away,_

_I'll write home everyday._

_And I'll send all my lovin' to you."He sang to her softly._

"_I'll pretend that I'm kissin'_

_the lips I am missin'_

_And I hope that my dreams will come true._

_And then while I'm away,_

_I'll write home everyday,_

_And I'll send all my lovin' to you."_

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Naruto smiled. He placed a soft kiss on Ino's forehead before he was pulled into sleep's awaiting arms.

It had only seemed like a moment had past. Naruto was comfortably asleep with Ino in his arms. But then there was a call from his door. Then a Bang. The multiple shouts and the banging never seemed to stop. Naruto groaned and Ino stirred.

"There is someone at the door." Naruto said groggily.

"NARUTO-KUN!"

"Don't look at me. They are your friends." Ino said before turning over.

Naruto pushed himself up. He didn't want to see the clock but from the corner of his eye he saw it read 4:45.

"What the hell do they want..." Naruto said annoyed as the pounding didn't stop.

The yanked open the door. Guy and Lee stood outside fully awake.

"Ah. Youthful Naruto." Guy said. "How is your morning?"

"It was going pretty good until I got out of bed." he said.

Guy grabbed Naruto and gave him a smile. "You're coming with us." he said.

"Ino we are borrowing Naruto." Lee called. The only reply was a get the hell out.

_'Thanks for the help Ino-chan.'_ Naruto thought.

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**Kitsune: 'Cause if you like it then you should have put a ring on it. Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh.**

**Kyubbi: What the hell Kitsune-dono?**

**Kitsune: Shut the hell up and leave me alone! So what do Guy and Lee want? (Obvious?) Oh well. What ever happened to Sakura and the others? NEXT TIME: Together Again!**


	13. Only 107

Naruto staggered behind the two forest green beings, that he now wanted to strangle.

"Come on Naruto-kun!" Guy called. "That was only 107! We still have 93 laps to go!"

Naruto groaned. "I hate you two." he heaved.

"That is most unyouthful!"

Naruto collapsed and the two finally stopped. They ran quickly to the fallen blonds side.

"Ino won't like this." Guy said shuttering.

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"What the hell did you two do to him?" Tsunade roared.

Guy smiled nervously at the distressed hokage. "It was only 107 laps." he said.

"You ran him into the god damn ground."

"We didn't know." Guy said.

"He's had no physical training for years now Guy. What makes you think he can come back and do everything he could in the past?" Tsunade said.

Ino looked darkly at the two green ninja. They smiled nervously again. She walked past them and walked into the hospital room that contained her exhausted love. She sat down next to him and stroked his hair. He snored quietly making her smile.

Guy and Lee took the opportunity to swiftly, running for their lives, exit the hospital. Tsunade smiled in at the two before closing the door and heading back to work.

"Naruto, it's been a month since the seal was taken off. Why does it seem like your still so far away?"

Naruto looked around as Ino's voice bounced off the walls.

"I'm really not him. Nothing compared to him right?" Naruto asked. Looking down at the bound blond man.

"**You kit, are him in ways. But what you say is true."** Kyubbi answered him.

Naruto went to his knees and pounded hard on the glass. He watched the man twitch and jerk but the rusting chains kept him in place.

"Don't you see what we are doing to her?" he said in barely a whisper. "We are hurting her. Wake the hell up would you. Make Ino-chan happy again." He stopped pounding on the glass. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked the man. "I'm not like you. I can't run like you or protect Ino like you can. What the hell am I suppose to do?"

"**Kit." **Kyubbi said looking down at the blond.

**Kitsune: So a short little chapter before the good part comes. I just want to do this chapter before together again instead.**

**Kyubbi: So Together Again is next time?**

**Kitsune: Yes and what surprises are in store for this friendly reunion?**

**Kyubbi: Go! Now! Take the computer with you. Here is some coffee. Go. Write. Now.**

**Kitsune: I'M GOING I'M GOING! But first... A thanks to all of the readers and reviews. I love you :3 Now off to my chamber!**


	14. Together Again

It had been a while since the training incident. Naruto, after asking, had been allowed to train again, but this time Tsunade made sure he started out on a good level. Ino usually came to watch him train, until she got roped into training too. By the end of today's training session, Ino and Naruto slumped to the ground while Guy and Lee ran off to do more laps.

"How the hell.. Do they do it?" Naruto huffed.

"If you ask me, they have to much energy." Ino said trying to catch her own breath.

Naruto wiped the sweat from his face and laid down. Ino smiled and followed suit, except she climbed on to of him, which probably wasn't good, seeing as he already couldn't breathe, but she didn't really care. She laid her head on his chest and smiled. The thumping in her ear was reassuring.

"We have to go." she mumbled.

"Right now. I don't think I can even get up." she heard. Ino climbed off of him and got to her feet. "Come on Naruto we'll be late."

Naruto groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position. Ino pulled him to his feet. "You say we have to go somewhere. Just where the hell are we going?" He asked as they walked.

Ino grinned up at him. She slowed down and when behind him, she covered his eyes. "It's a surprise." she said.

Naruto allowed himself to be lead around. He had no idea where she could possibly be taking him. Ino had greeted someone. A woman he could tell by her voice. "Can I look now?" he questioned, feeling as the two forgot he was there.

Ino smirked. "Sure." she said pulling her hands away. Naruto opened his eyes. "A bar?" he asked.

"Yeah. We've been meeting up here every Saturday for awhile. We thought it would bring up some good times for you."

Naruto turned to look at the person who spoke. A pink haired woman stood in front of him. She smiled at him.

"_You're such an idiot Naruto! I don't see how you even became a ninja!" someone screeched._

"_You will never be anything compared to Sasuke-kun. My Sasuke-kun." she said._

"_You look all lonely." a younger voice said. "Wanna play so you aren't lonely?"_

Naruto just smiled back at her. "Nice to see you again Sakura." he said. Sakura smiled and nodded, before Ino pushed them inside. There was a bang and before he knew it, Lee was standing in front of him. "You again?" he asked.

"OH MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND NARUTO! IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

Naruto sighed with a smile at Lee's actions. The green ninja always confused him. How could he be so, loud? Lee then got behind Naruto and pushed him over to a long table, Ino and Sakura followed close behind.

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"Ino... I'm sorry. The things I have said over the years. They were rude. I just didn't believe Naruto would ever come back." Sakura said quietly.

"You know Sakura. I'm happy you apologized, but some of the things you said, aren't easily forgotten. I thought you of all people would never have given up on Naruto like Naruto didn't give up for you. The promise he made for you. It tore him apart Sakura. I can't believe you didn't see it." Ino left Sakura behind and took a seat at the table across from her Naruto. Sakura watched on with interest. As soon as Ino sat down, Naruto seemed to light up, like he was nothing without her.

The rosette walked over and took a seat next to her old blond hair, loud as fuck, kill me orange wearing teammate, and smiled. He was so different now. But then again, how well did she actually know Naruto? She had never made an effort to talk to him, and now she was regretting it, seeing Ino so happy. After a while, Naruto just stopped trying. And she missed his constant date requests.

_'What the hell am I doing?'_ Sakura thought._ 'That's Ino's man. Basically Married. Would be had it not been for your man.'_

_**'But he could be your man. Think about it. All you have to do is get him to remember you and how he use to chase you and all.' **_Inner Sakura said.

Sakura shook her head. That was a bad road to be following. Sakura sighed. What the hell was wrong with her?

He walked down the quiet road. The hood concealing his identity. The few travelers he passed looked at him suspiciously but never said a word. The hooded figure looked up as the familiar large gates of Konoha came into few.

"I'm home." he said sneering under the hood. He felt cool metal against his neck and was pulled out of his musing.

"State your business here."

"My business is with the hokage and no one else." he said.

At the bar, Naruto laughed at what was going on around him. Neji had to tackle a drunken Lee, then animatedly called for help to get the crazy guy out of the bar and away from booze. Choji and Neji managed to get him out. Kiba was so smashed and no one could understand him. He clumsily stood up in his chair and started to sing. All eyes were on him and he got pretty into it. It wasn't the smartest idea to start dancing on his chair. Not a good decision on his part. His chair rocked then gave way making the brown haired shinobi fall to the floor. He cursed and jumped back up to his feet."

"I'm... I'm good." he said swaying from side to side.

Everyone clapped at the show they were given, and Naruto leaned forward so Ino could hear him.

"And you say I was the life of the party?"

Ino shrugged and grinned.

"Take off the hood before we speak. I would like to know who it is I am talking to." Tsunade said, even though she had a feeling she knew who it was and to say she was not happy was vastly underestimated. There was a moment's hesitation then he complied and slowly pulled his hood off.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you where you stand." Tsunade said in a Dangerous tone of voice.

Sasuke remained silent, until he found his voice. "I would like to return to Konoha."

"Shizune." Tsunade called. Shizune entered and looked like she might have had a heart attack before her eyes turned cold."Yes Lady Tsunade?" she ground out.

"Would you go get Naruto for me." the blond woman said.

"Yes ma'am." Shizune said. She sent the dirtiest look she could at the Uchiha before exiting the office. One the killer looks scale, no one could top Tsunade at the moment. Maybe if Ino was there a look really could kill. With some mind damaging help though. Tsunade glared daggers at him. "What do you really want Uchiha?"

"I told you already."

"Naruto." Shizune said as she reached the table.

"Yes Shizune?" the blond asked. Curiosity written on his face.

"Lady Tsunade would like you to join her in her office for a moment. " she said. "Come quickly."

Naruto nodded. He told everyone he would she them later and sorry to take off on them. He followed Shizune back to the hokage's office.

Naruto knocked on the door. He heard Tsunade say come in, and he opened the door.

"Hey Baa-chan." he said. "What cha need?"

Tsunade's eyes shifted form angry at Sasuke to worried about Naruto. Was it wise of her to bring Naruto into this? She wasn't even going let Sasuke return anyway. Maybe to prison but not as a citizen. Why did she bring him into this? But then a wicked smile spread across her face.

"Naruto this is Sasuke Uchiha." she said simply kickin' back to watch the possible fireworks.

Naruto's head snapped in the direction of the black haired man.

_I found myself in the same cell I had woken up in so long ago. I saw myself hanging there on the wall. I went to try to pull the chains off. My hand past threw them and I jerked back and stared down at them. The same thing happened when I tried to touch something in my memory. I just watched in horrified fascination as a black haired man walked in._

"_Sasuke-chan!" Naruto said. "You're back. Good thing. I was starting to get... so lonely."_

_What the hell was he doing? The idiot was going to piss him off, and he really wasn't in the position to do that. My head swung back and froth between the two. Sasuke was pacing in front of him. He was breathing heavily like he had been running, or holding back something like anger._

_'Oh Kami,' I heard Naruto's thoughts. 'I bet they are done with me... That means... OH KAMI HERE I COME! IT'S FINALLY OVER!"_

_I looked at myself shocked. What the hell? Then I felt a hit to my stomach._

"_I don't have time for your silly games dobe!" Sasuke spat still pacing. "They found us! And they are coming." Sasuke started to ramble and turned to Naruto._

"_This is all your fault!" He roared. "Konoha is coming to avenge you! They care about you but tossed me to the side."_

"_ARE YOU SHITTING ME!" Naruto roared back. "FOR THE LONGEST TIME KONOHA THOUGHT THE SUN SHINED OUT YOUR ASS!"_

"_YOU WILL REGRET THIS DAY!" Sauske yelled then sneered, then laughed maniacally. I didn't like this at all. "Today Naurto Uzumaki, the golden whirlwind, will parish, in a death befitting a loser, dead last, weakling, monster,... and coward."_

"_COWARD!" I flinched at how loud he yelled. But I glared at Sasuke even though he couldn't see me. "I HAVE BEEN CALLED MANY THINGS UCHIHA!" Naruto spat. "BUT COWARD WAS NEVER ONE OF THEM! HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT I AM A COWARD?"_

_I watched him thrash and pull against the chains, lashing out at Sasuke who only stared at him._

"_Only cowards hide behind words Naruto." he said. "You hide behind the hopes that I will end you. I know this to be true. Yet you go on and say the things you say. All those days when we were younger, you spent hiding behind masks! Your Down fall... It will only bring me more satisfaction in the end!"_

"_That makes no scene!" Naruto and I said quickly._

_Sasuke snarled at him before growling out "It does not need to make scene to you Uzumaki! Your up hence has come! I will tell you though, you are going to die. But not physically. Your memory, your chakra, sealed away from you. You will no longer be Naruto Uzumaki. And you never will be. Oh yes the seals can be taken off but you will never be Naruto Uzumaki." He sneered seeing the blonds questioning look and continued. "I had a sealsmaster make these seals for me. One," He said going threw katas, "To keep your memory away forever. Even if the seal is taken off, they have to get you to remember. Your memory will not resurface. You will never remember" He slammed his hand onto Naruto's forehead._

_I felt Naruto's mind crash. My glare turned icy. I knew what was going on inside his head. Kyubbi was practically foaming at the mouth. Naruto chocked and Sasuke slapped him quickly waking the blond up. "And the second to keep away that bloody fox." He finished the second round of katas and slammed his hand onto Naruto's Stomach. I heard Kyubbi scream profanity and curse as if the Uchiha memory could hear us. As Naruto. Me, who I was woke up I saw the confusion in his eyes. It was one thing I remembered. From the day I woke up in hear. It may not have been the first day, but I remember the smile on his face and how I thought it didn't fit. It was just like I remembered. His still looked ghostly in the dim light. I felt the disturbing feel I had gotten back then._

"_Rest in Peace Naruto Uzumaki." he mumbled before looking back up at me._

"_Dobe." He said and with that, he turned and left._

_I found myself at a campsite. Of a mission? I looked around and my eyes suddenly fell on the silhouette of a spiky haired person. I moved closer. I saw Daiki on the other side of the fire. Naruto was looking absentmindedly into the fire._

"_Naruto... Why do you try so hard to save the unsavable?" Daiki asked._

_Naruto chuckled. The shadows on his face looked eerie and it sent chills down my spine. "You know Daiki. I don't really know why I try at all. I made a promise to Sakura and she still holds it. So I can't be free until I fulfill my promise to her." he shifted his gaze at Daiki. "I've been doing this for so long Daiki, I don't think I would know what to do with my time without this anymore."_

"_But what about Ino?" Daiki asked. "She must not like you doing this."_

"_Yeah you're right. She doesn't. She's waiting for us right now. We have to get home tomorrow. That's one more failure to the list."_

"_Naruto. Make it your last."_

"_Last failure?"_

"_Last at all." Daiki said simply._

_Naruto smiled. I ask again. What the hell is wrong with me?_

_This time it was different. I wasn't that ghostly figure that no one could see, I was Naruto. Well... you know what I mean._

_I lay bleeding. I could feel the pain in my chest. Like a hole was blown threw me. I pulled my head up. Holy shit. There, on my chest was a fucking hole! What the hell? My eyelids became heavy._

_'Chidori!'_

_'Rasengan!'_

_I remembered what happened. Why the hell did I pull away? Why didn't I blow him away with the rasengan? I felt my body go numb. Was this what it felt like to die? To at least be near death? Had I been to hells gates multiple times taunting the Shinigami? Surely he was none to pleased with my constant appearances. I heard movement somewhere near me. My eyes were falling now. I had to try my hardest to keep them open. Sasuke appeared in my vision. He knelt down._

"_Something to remember me by." he said. He grabbed my head and smashed it down. I was cast out of the body. I watched as Sasuke untied his leaf headband and lay it with me. Then he left me there bleeding. I walked over and sat cross legged next to myself and sighed. Not to soon after Sasuke left, did Kakashi appeared. I watched him tenderly pick up the bleeding orange clad ninja and speed away._

_I appeared again. Even further this time. A say a red head with a crazed look in his eye. It was monstrous. The monster he was becoming. But that the hell can I say I mean I'm one two. I watched as Sakura was slowly getting crushed. I turned to see the reaction of the two young boys. It seemed Sasuke was backing off but Naruto smirked and attacked. As he was blocked and sent back by Gaara, a small explosion went off._

_It started going downhill when Gaara fell asleep releasing the sand demon. Naruto gathered his chakra and summoned Gamabunta._

"_TEETH AND CLAWS KID! TEETH AND CLAWS!" Bunta said as they charged. There was a large puff of smoke and I saw kyubbi in front of me. At least that is what it appeared to be. "GO KID."_

_I watched Naruto jump from the large fox to punch Gaara. The sand caught his fist. "Dammit." Naruto said struggling against the sand. He headbutted Gaara with as much force as he could successfully waking him up._

_Now Naruto and Gaara were laying on the ground. The fight over._

"_Stay away from me." Gaara said frantically and Naruto inched closer._

"_I don't care what anyone else says." he mumbled. "From her on out, me and you are friends."_

"_Friends?"_

_Naruto smiled weakly at the red head and nodded. "Yeah."_

_The forest of Death. Not the most inviting place ever. But after Anko found out I was alive she tackled me and drug me into her favorite place to be and she sat and just stared at me for the longest time before tackling me again. But this time didn't seem to good. It was the exams. A sat a few branches up and watched._

_Orochimaru sent a giant snake after Sakura and Sasuke but was stopped by Naruto much to their surprise._

"_Are you okay?" he asked. "Chicken." he said frightening Saskue and Sakura with the color and look in his eye. "Even if we hand over that scroll there is no saying if he will spare us or not."_

"_Right Naruto." Orochimaru said grabbing him. He slammed his hand causing a cry of pain to erupt from the blond._

"_God dobe do I have to save you now?" Sasuke said under his breath._

_I rolled my eyes I wanted out of this. I wanted out right now._

"_You're such a loser Naruto." Sasuke said. "You need to stay out of my way."_

"_Dunce."_

"_Dobe."_

"_Failure."_

"_Coward."_

_No... No!... NO! SHUT UP! I'm not those things. I'm not!_

Naruto glared coldly at the man standing before him. He was breathing heavily trying to contain his anger. Kyubbi was thrashing angrily in his cage. **"Shitstain! Let me kill the shit stain!"** Naruto heard him roar. He was slowly losing control of his temper.

"You... Bastard" Naruto spoke in a deathly quiet tone.

**Kitsune: Woot! Chapter 14 is done. What will happen with Sasuke? Naruto didn't seem to happy, though I think Kyubbi is ready to go.**

**Kyubbi: YOU BET I AM!**

**Kitsune: Anyway... NEXT TIME!**


	15. All To Waist

Naruto clenched his fists. His knuckles turned while and he grit his teeth. Sasuke watched with fascination. He sighed in a bored manner. All he needed to do was get the signal to Orochimaru. That's all he had to do.

"Look I just want to return to konoha." he said.

"You think I will let that happen?" Naruto said. "You've hurt so many people Uchiha. I will not allow to hurt them anymore."

"That's not something Naruto would say." Sasuke said coolly.

"I'm not sure if you know this or not..." he started. "But Naruto Uzumaki died a while ago. But Naruto didn't die physically. No his empty shell was left behind so all could see the power of the magnificent Uchiha. He died mentally. A death befitting a loser. Deadlast. Coward."

Red chakra began to leak out of the blond haired man. The chakra radiated heat and scorched the carpet where he stood.

"Kyubbi's not happy with you you know. Not happy at all." Naruto said closing his angry blue eyes. When he opened them, they were the bloody red silted eyes. The feral eyes. The fox's eyes. He grit his teeth harder. "I'm not happy either." he ground out.

Tsunade sat head looking back and forth between the two. Before she knew it, Naruto was across the room, fist connecting with Sasuke's jaw successfully sending Sasuke threw the glass doors. The class crunched under his feet as he stalked toward Sasuke. Sasuke rubbed his jaw and slowly got to his feet. He glared at the blond. With the fox's help, Naruto would be able to fight him evenly now. This wasn't good.

_'I just need to get close to him. Then...' _he thought.

Sasuke charged the feral blond while racing threw katas. Naruto went to dodge, but Sasuke anticipated that. He was one step ahead. The black haired man slammed his hand to Naruto's forehead.

Naruto paused for a moment. His eyes widened and he fell to his knees. "Ahh..." was the silent scream. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Tusnade watched as if it were in slow motion. She stood so fast and rushed to the balcony. She stopped dead in her tracks when the most terrible noise erupted from the blond. The most pain fill scream, ripped threw the air, sweaping over the quite village. All of the people in konoha stopped and listened horrified of the noise. It rocked konoha to it's core.

"What have you done to him?" Tsunade hissed rushing to her son's side. The blond was thrashing, screaming, crying his forgiveness, begging, pleading. Tusnade tried her best to calm the distressed man. She turned to Sasuke expecting an explanation. Sasuke smirked and chuckled, but it soon turned to insane laughter.

"THIS IS WHAT HE GETS FOR MESSING WITH AN UCHIHA!" he shouted. "I AM SUPERIOR TO HIM! YET HE IS SO LOVED BY THE PEOPLE! WHAT DOES HE HAVE THAT I DON'T? NOTHING NOW BECAUSE AS SOON AS THE SEAL FINALLY WEARS HE WILL BE NOTHING BUT A DISTANT MEMORY FOR ME! NARUTO UZUMAKI WILL HAVE PERISHED FROM THIS WORLD IN HIS OWN SORROW AND INSANITY!"

_**'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'**_

Ino looked up at the noise that rang in her ears, dropping her glass in the process. A scream. She knew who it belonged to too. Ino shot out of her chair and out of the bar, leaving her confused and horrified friends. She ran as fast as she could.

_'What happened honey?'_ she wondered. _'What is causing you so much pain?'_

Another scream erupted. She pushed threw crowds of people desperately trying to reach her love.

"I promised I wouldn't leave him." she said to herself. She looked up determination in her tear filled eyes. "I promised I wouldn't leave him alone when he remembers bad thing!" she shouted gaining the people's attention as she tore threw the streets. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY! I WON'T LEAVE HIM! MOVE IT! MOVE IT! MOVE IT!" she screamed making people dive out of her way. She took to the roofs then not wanting to deal with the scared villagers that continued to get in her way. She jumped onto the balcony. She listened quietly behind the crazed man. When he was finished, she cracked her knuckles. A demented look in her eyes.

"You..." she said quietly. "You... sick... twisted..."

An explosion went off. Ino turned and watched the walls of Konoha crumble.

"Bastard." she spat.

"Well I would enjoy a catch up but I have things to do." Sasuke said before disappering. Ino rushed to Naruto's side.

"I have to go Ino." Tsunade said frantically. "I have to go help. Will you be okay here?"

"We'll be fine." Ino said in a panicked voice.

Tsunade stood and shook away her worries before rushing off to aid the fight.

My eyes felt like lead. They didn't want to open. Something was wrapped around me. I felt cold. There was no warmth anymore. Slowly, I opened my eyes a little. I was under water? Why was I not drowning? Where was I? I tried to move. No use. I didn't budge. I shifted my gaze down at my body. Chains that looked so rushed that is I pulled just hard enough... Maybe I could get out.

"**Kit!"**

I knew that voice. I shifted my eyes again. Above my watery prison, was the cage of Kyubbi. I closed my eyes again. I pushed against the chain. I feel the strain. Then it finally broke. They fell away, releasing. Something inside me broke along with it. I could feel it. I was thrown up above the water. Images. Bad ones. From my past. Why was I seeing my life again? Where was... was this my life? Did I have no happiness? Was I alone? I was. There was no one. There was no warmth. I clenched my head.

"What's happening?" I asked frantically. "This isn't all I am am I?

I was cast from my mind. I opened my eyes. Ino. She was looking down at me. Ino hated me. She hadn't talked to me since our days at the academy. What was she doing here?

**Kitsune: Oh no! All Ino's hard work! What will she do now?**

**Kyubbi: DEATH TO THE UCHIHA!**

**Kitsune: …... Just wait. You will be pleased. :D**


	16. What About Our Promise

"Ino?" Naruto asked. His voice seemed empty. Hollow. It scared Ino yet she was relieved.

Ino looked down at Naruto with relief. She hugged him, confusing the blond. She pulled away and looked into his face.

"What don't you remember me?" Ino asked.

"Yeah. You're Ino Yamanaka. We were in the Academy together, but after that we didn't talk much."

_'He won't remember a single happy thing.'_

_'This is Sasuke's doing.' _Ino thought_. 'But the original seal. Maybe he can still remember. How can I get him to remember?'_

Ino froze as something whispered in her ear. _I will always be here Ino._ She grabbed his arm and pulled him up to his feet. He was shaking. Ino felt her heart break.

"Come with me Naruto. I want to help you." she said.

She knew Naruto didn't want to go with her. She knew he wanted to be alone, but she was stubborn and wouldn't let him. She pulled him along. Threw the chaos. Running civilians. Ninja running. Ino pulled him along and she lead him on the path she remembered so well. She pulled him into the meadow.

Naruto looked around. Nothing happened. Ino was beginning to lose faith in getting him back. This was her best bet. She run at Naruto and held onto him.

"Naruto." she wept. "I thought... I thought you would remember."

Naruto got that far off look in his eye. Ino was hopeful.

Naruto stood in darkness. All alone it seemed. He heard two sets of footsteps and out of the darkness, appeared two of himself. One, rugged and injured. Sickly looking and pale. In only tattered black pants. The other dress exactly like him. He looked in between the two. Naruto felt a pull in the back of his mind. It pulled him toward the rugged looking version. Naruto gave in and allowed himself to fad. They three became one again. Two absorbed by the one true original.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was good to be back.

Naruto shook his head. His thoughts, jumbled, and overwhelming made his head spin. Then, platinum blond entered his vision. He rushed over and pulled her in.

"Ino!" he said happily, as if he hadn't seen her in years. ((because he hasn't))

"Naruto!" she cried happily. "Oh Naruto-kun! You're finally back!" she said.

"What's going on Ino?" he asked.

"It's an attack on Konoha Naruto. Sasuke." she said quietly.

"Let's go." He said

The ground rumbled under the fighting ninja's feet, they stopped and looked around for the source. Their eyes fell upon a large toad bounding forward. Two blonds on his head. One grinning like a Cheshire cat, the other, rage? The need to get revenge? Something. And that something wasn't good for anyone who got in his way.

The appearance of the Golden Whirlwind was followed with a mass retreat. Orochimaru, who was locked into combat with his teammate yelled for them to return but no one did. It was just he, Sasuke, Kabuto, and a few of his braver nin.

"SASUKE UCHIHA!" Naruto yelled over the fighting, now turning in Konoha's favor. "I HAVE A SCORE TO SETTLE WITH YOU."

"How?" Sasuke said, appearing before the blond. "How did you... HOW DID YOU DO IT?" he demanded.

"It was something your black heart wouldn't understand." Naruto said. Sasuke, enraged, charged Naruto. All fighting ceased except, four. Sasuke aimed a kick at Naruto's stomach. Naruto quickly dodged.

"Sasuke! For all you have done to me I will never forgive you! You will taste a small amount of what you did to me in the past six years! You will beg for death as I had but unlike you... I WILL GLADLY GIVE IT TO YOU!" he roared.

Tsunade used the moment Orochimaru was distracted to attack. She didn't want to waste time. She pulled a fallen ninja's sword, and swung as hard as she could. ((which is pretty damn hard))

The sword plunged into his stomach.

"KAKASHI! FIRE STYLE!" she called.

Kakashi nodded. "Fire style: Fire Ball jutzu!"

The large ball raced toward the two and Tsunade jumped away just in time to ovoid being burned.

Naruto knew he couldn't take Sasuke on alone. Even with the training he had with Guy, he was no where near in the condition to fight Sasuke.

"**Use me kit!"** Kyubbi said. Naruto dodged another one of Sasuke's attacks. Once upon a time he promised to bring Sasuke back with his own power, not the kyubbi's, but seeing as he was going to break one promise, might as well break two. He closed his eyes. "Alright Kyubbi. You may." Naruto mumbled. Red chakra leaked from the seal and covered him.

"**Heh heh heh. Thanks kit."** Naruto spoke. But it wasn't his voice. It was demonic. Naruto cracked his neck and knuckles. **"Prepare to die."**

"No!" the shout rang out. "If you remembered, if you are really Naruto, you don't want to kill him. You want to save him. What about your promise to me?"

"**Sakura, I'm sorry. I truly am, but the moment he ruined kit's happy day, the moment he caused him pain, it was his death warrant." **Naruto said. **"AND NOW IT'S TIME TO PAY THE PRICE!"**

Sasuke lunged at the blond. Naruto with a sword in hand, prepared to end it. He never saw the blur of pink behind him. Until it was to late.

"How... could you?" she asked bleeding. Her eyes dulled and she went limp. The two, impaled on the sword fell together.

"I... I didn't mean..." Naruto backed away from the two. Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down Naruto. It was her choice. It's over now." he said softly. "It's all over."

Ino walked up next to him and he pulled her into a hug. It was over. It was all over.

**Kitsune: Fin!**

**Kyubbi: That was a quick death.**

**Kitsune: More then they deserved. Can anyone help e? I am no good at coming up with action. Im more of a romance writer. Any sugestions to make this better?**

**Kyubbi:...True**

**Sneak Peek!**

"**Why him my lord?" Kabuto asked curiously.**

"**There are many reasons my student," the snake chuckles. "For starters if we use him for this experiment, it will eliminate the Akatski's plans. He is one of the leafs most valuable ninja. The one 'Will of Fire' as my sensei put it. Without him, Konoha will surly crumble as they lose all hope." he explained.**

"**Will it work?"**

"**Without a doubt. If it doesn't the hostage's life is forfeit. And we both know Naruto Uzumaki is to noble to let that happen."**


	17. Our Little Secret

"Three... Two... One."

His office doors were thrown open and a little blond haired boy charged in with a cry of Daddy.

"Hey sport." Naruto said pushing back from his desk to catch his little son Haru. "Where's you're mother?"

"Mommy was right behind me."

"I'm right here love." Ino said from behind him.

"Holy.."

Haru clapped a hand over his father's mouth. "Mommy says you shouldn't say that."

Naruto smiled under his son's small hand. Haru quickly pulled his hand away shrieking. Ino twisted to see little Haru holding his hand out, before rubbing it on Naruto. The older blond had his tongue sticking out. Ino slapped a hand to her forehead. How did she fall for this idiot?

Naruto laughed pulling Ino out of her thoughts.

"But daddy he looks just like you." Haru said pointing to a framed picture.

Ino smiled when Naruto got up from his seat and walked over to the frame with Haru in his arms. "That Haru, is you're Grandpa. He was Hokage before daddy."

"Will we ever meet grandpa?" Haru asked innocently looking up at his father.

"I'm afraid not buddy. Grandpa died before I even got the chance to meet him."

"Oh. Well I have grandma!" the little blond boy said pointing to another framed picture. Naruto grinned. Tsunade didn't like him calling her grandma but she loved her little grandson Haru.

"Daddy, can you leave work to come with us?" Haru asked.

"And where would you be going?" Naruto asked.

"To get some ramen!" shouted little Haru throwing his hands in the air.

"Now wait! I never said anything about..."

"WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?" Naruto shouted grabbing Ino's waist and rushing out the door.

_'He really is your son Naruto.'_ Ino thought as she allowed herself to be dragged threw the streets. People dove out of the blond Hokage's way and he and his son shouted excitedly about the awaiting ramen.

((timeskip))

Naruto laid down in bed next to Ino. His blond wife turned over and wrapped her arms around him in her sleep. Even after all the time that had passed, Ino still admitted to being worried about losing him again.

((Flashback))

"_Naruto do you take Ino to be your lawfully wedded wife?"_

"_I do."_

_Naruto saw Ino smile and a tear slipped out of her eye._

"_And do you Ino take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"_

"_I do." she said._

"_By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."_

_Naruto smiled and Kissed Ino. Before he pulled away, he whispered, 'And I promise never to give her another heart attack.'_

_He smirked when she slapped him playfully._

"_You better not mister or there will be hell to pay." she said. Everyone looked confused at the newlyweds but brushed it off._

((End Flashback.))

Naruto looked down at Ino lovingly. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead before relaxing. Before he could fall asleep he heard the door creak open.

"Daddy?" little Haru whispered.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"I can't sleep daddy." Haru said close to tears.

"Bad dream?" Naruto asked.

The little boy nodded his head. Naruto unwound himself from Ino's arms and the sheets and walked over to Haru. He scooped up the little boy in his arms and walked out into the kitchen. Naruto sat Haru on the counter and went over to the freezer. He pulled out some Ice cream.

"Mommy says I'm not allowed to eat after bedtime." he said.

"It'll be our little secret okay."

Naruto made two bowls of Ice cream and told Haru to jump on his back. The lugged the little boy back to his room and turned on the small lamp. The sat Haru down on his bed and handed him a bowl before sitting down himself.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - – - - - - - - - - - -

Ino twisted and turned before she was pulled awake. She reached over for Naruto, but when her arm didn't feel anything she freaked. She jumped out of bed, pulled on her robe and rushed to her son's room. She calmed herself before opening the door.

It warmed her heart. There he was. Naruto was sprawled out on Haru's bed with Haru lying on top of him with two bowls lying next to the bed. Ino walked over and pulled a blanket over the two and took the bowls out to the kitchen. She shuffled back to bed.

**Kitsune: Okay this is the official ending to the story. Chapter goes out to Inferno Phoenix.**


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